Ed Sheeran has been hit with not one, but two separate lawsuits that allege he plagiarised other artists' material for his own songs.
One of them, brought by the writers of 'Amazing', the song performed by former X Factor winner Matt Cardle - who claim that his song 'Photograph' infringes their copyright - has been ripped apart by his legal team. They have called the $20 million lawsuit 'scandalous', say that it's too complicated, makes 'sweeping, generalised accusations' and wish to have it dismissed by a federal judge.
In a statement issued by Warner, Sony and Sheeran himself, they say: "Defying the most fundamental pleading requirement of providing short, concise and plain statements, the First Amended Complaint consists of 44 sprawling pages of prolix, repetitive, argumentative and scandalous allegations, made mostly on ‘information and belief’.
‘It makes sweeping, generalized allegations — in 156 paragraphs, some of which go on for pages and contain upwards of 25 or 30 different sentences — against eleven distinct Defendants.’"
Because the suit names 11 defendants, Sheeran's legal team want to have it dismissed because 'lumping defendants together is not proper' and each defendant should be entitled to defend themselves against distinct charges.
Sheeran has not made a direct comment on either this lawsuit, or the one being brought against him by the co-writer of Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On'.
