VIDEO · 12 APRIL 2022

Ed Sheeran – Oh Why? (Videos)

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"Mr Sheeran is undoubtedly very talented, he is a genius. But he is also a magpie. He borrows ideas and throws them into his songs, sometimes he will acknowledge it but sometimes he won't."

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"Mr Sheeran is undoubtedly very talented, he is a genius. But he is also a magpie. He borrows ideas and throws them into his songs, sometimes he will acknowledge it but sometimes he won't." – The words of Andrew Sutcliffe QC, the barrister who is acting for the artist who is suing Ed Sheeran for copyright infringement.

The infringement claim

Ed Sheeran, one of the most popular musicians in the world, stands accused of copyright infringement. The claim relates to his 2017 smash hit Shape of You, the most streamed song in Spotify's history.

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The accuser, Sami Chokri aka Sami Switch, claims that Shape of You infringes his 2015 song Oh Why. The case has significant financial implications – royalties due to Sheeran and his co-writers (some USD20-million) have been frozen.

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