Last week, the Second Circuit Court ruled decisively in favor of Ed Sheeran, dismissing claims that his hit Thinking Out Loud infringed Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. The court’s decision, emphasizing that basic elements like chord progressions aren’t copyrightable, has sweeping implications, especially as Jamaican producers Steely & Clevie pursue a similar copyright case over the Dem Bow riddim, foundational to reggaeton. This landmark ruling underscores a critical debate in copyright law: how to balance protecting originality with fostering creative freedom across genres and borders.
0