Ed Sheeran, a four-time Grammy winner, came to Manhattan federal court on Tuesday for his trial on a claim that he copied portions of Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On” for his own use.

Image Credit: Alec Tabak

The musician walked through a throng of reporters and cameras outside the lower Manhattan courthouse where opening arguments are scheduled to take place on Tuesday, remaining silent the entire time.

The jury was selected for the case, which will determine whether Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” copied some of Marvin Gaye’s renowned 1973 soul song.

The heirs of the late Ed penned the song with Gaye, are suing Sheeran for unpaid royalties from his 2014 single “Shape of You” and demand that Sheeran pay them a portion of the proceeds.

According to Townsend’s team, the British singer-songwriter’s smash hit included additional musical components that made up the “heart” of Gaye’s popular song in addition to a melody that was too similar to “Let’s Get it On,” according to the lawsuit.

Image Credit: REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

The trial has been postponed for several years which was initially filed in 2017.

If Sheeran violated the copyright, the jury must determine whether Sheeran should be held accountable. Townsend’s daughter Kathryn Townsend Gryphon stated on Tuesday that she was bringing the lawsuit in order to get “justice” for her father.

She entered the courtroom and stated, “I am here for justice protecting my father’s intellectual properties. “All I’m expecting is his name to be honored and his work and his legacy, and the fact that I want all artists’ intellectual properties protected by the individual who oversee our royalties.”

Published by HOLR Magazine.