Sheeran and two of his co-writers – Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid and producer Steve McCutcheon, better known as Steve Mac – have been accused of plagiarizing part of a track called Oh Why by Sami Chokri, a grime artist who plays Sami Switch. In a video statement released after the Supreme Court judge ruled in his favor, the star said he was “obviously happy with the result” and wanted to talk about it. Use the Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:28 Shape Of You v Oh Why “I feel that such claims are very common now and have become a culture where a claim is made with the idea that a settlement will be cheaper than going to court, even if there is no basis for the claim,” he said. “It’s really detrimental to the songwriting industry. “There are only so many notes and very few chords used in pop music. It is certain that it will be a coincidence if 60,000 songs are released every day on Spotify. That’s 22 million songs a year and there are only 12 notes available.” “I am human” “I do not want to take anything away from the pain and suffering on both sides of this issue. But I’re just saying I’m not an entity. I’m not a company. I’m a human being, I’m a father, I’m a husband, I’m a son. “The lawsuits are not a pleasant experience and I hope with this decision, it means that unfounded allegations like this can be avoided in the future. This must really end.” He concluded by thanking the people for their support, adding: “Hopefully we can all get back to writing songs instead of having to prove we can write them.” Joint statement of songwriters The three singers also issued a joint statement after the ruling, saying the cost of the case was “more than just financial”. They said: “There is a cost to creativity. When we are involved in education, we do not make music or play shows. There is a cost to our mental health. The stress it causes on all sides is enormous. Many aspects of our daily lives. of our families and friends. “ The joint statement echoed Sheeran’s words that he did not want to “reduce the wound and pain that one has suffered through it” but said “at the same time we feel it is important to acknowledge that we too have had our own wounds and struggles throughout life. the duration of the course. of this process “and that the lawsuits also affect the” wider circle “of songwriters. “Our hope through all this is that it shows that there is a need for a safe space for all songwriters to be creative and free to express their hearts,” they said. “It simply came to our notice then. Everyone should be able to express themselves freely in music, in art and do it without fear. “At the same time, we believe that there should be a proper process for the legal and guaranteed protection of copyright. However, this is not the same as having a culture where unjustified claims are easily made. This is not constructive or favorable to a culture. creativity. “ Image: Johnny McDaid, of Snow Patrol, co-wrote the screenplay for Shape Of You A “message to songwriters everywhere” The trio went on to say that they respect other artists and “always tried to clarify or acknowledge our influences and collaborators” when it came to praise – something they talked about while testifying during the trial. “No matter how successful something seems to be, we still respect it,” they said. “It’s so painful to hear someone publicly and aggressively question your integrity. It’s so painful to have to defend yourself against accusations that you have done something you have not done and would never do. “Although this was one of the most difficult things we have ever experienced in our professional life, we will continue to resist unfounded allegations and protect our rights and the integrity of our musical creativity so that we can continue to make music, always . “Our message to songwriters everywhere is: please support each other. Be kind to each other. Let us continue to cultivate a spirit of community and creativity.” Following an 11-day Supreme Court ruling in March, Justice Zacaroli ruled that Sheeran “neither intentionally nor subconsciously” copied an Oh Why hook when writing “Oh I” for Shape Of You. While there are “similarities” between the hook and the phrase, he concluded that there are also “significant differences”.
