Forbes: British pop singer Ed Sheeran has become the latest musician to have someone claim that one of his biggest hits might not be entirely of his own making, and this one could cost him quite a bit of money. In a lawsuit filed just recently against the chart-topping musician, two songwriters say that much of the chorus in his song “Photograph” is taken from one of their works, and they want to be paid.
Professional songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard are seeking $20 million, and then they may potentially want future royalties on top of that. $20 million certainly is a lot of money, especially when it comes to just one song, but this is Ed Sheeran we’re talking about, so that figure might not be entirely inappropriate. The hitmaking duo state in their joint suit that “Photograph” is far too similar to the song “Amazing,” which they co-wrote for Matt Cardle just a few years back. That name might not ring a bell for Americans, but as the winner of season seven of The X Factor in the U.K., both he and Sheeran are well-known. Cardle has charted two number one hits and has had several other tracks make it to the charts, including “Amazing,” which became a minor hit back in 2012.
Many cases involving alleged plagiarism in the music industry typically involve one big hit and a lesser-known (or completely unknown) act crying foul, as it can be a great way to earn some extra cash if the two songs really are eerily similar. This case is different in that both tunes were successful and both musicians have large followings, so the public is sure to be more interested in watching how this one plays out. The case is being spearheaded by the same lawyer that helped the estate of Marvin Gaye win several million dollars from Robin Thicke and Pharrell last year after a judge ruled that their number one hit “Blurred Lines” sounded too much like one of Gaye’s tracks. His presence also ensures that this will surely be one of the most prominent cases of this kind in some time.
The lawsuit has been filed against Sheeran, his co-writer Johnny McDaid, and the publishing companies attached to the worldwide hit. What makes the price tag so high in this instance isn’t just the actual sales of the song, but what its popularity has been shown to be worth to the businesses involved. One of the publishers connected to “Photograph,” Polar Patrol Music Publishing, was sold not too long ago, and it fetched a healthy price in part because it came with the rights to the Sheeran song. The success of the single made Polar Patrol sell for more money than it would have without the smash, and those that are saying the track is ripped from their own work want a piece of that money as well.
“Photograph” was just one of the many globally-successful hits from Sheeran’s latest album, X, which itself topped charts everywhere. The track ended the promotional campaign as the final single, and it peaked at number 15 in his home country of the U.K., while in the U.S. it managed to become the third top ten hit of his career. 2014 and 2015 were very good to the singer-songwriter, who sold millions upon millions of singles and albums in almost every territory and made a hefty sum of money thanks to his massive success. Last year, Sheeran earned an incredible $57 million, and the year prior he was the most-streamed artist in the world.
