MUMBAI: Ed Sheeran’s ‘Photograph’ off his second album ‘x’ assured him a spot in US Top 10 charts, while it peaked at 15 in the UK. The single also managed to sell 3.5 million copies and earned double platinum in Australia and Canada. But the single has now caused the British songwriter a reason to worry about.
Two songwriters – British origin Martin Harrington and American Thomas Leonard – have claimed that Sheeran’s ‘Photograph’ have several similarities to the song structure when compared to the duo’s original composition ‘Amazing’. The song, written by Harrington and Leonard, was later sung and performed by X Factor winner Matt Cardle in 2012.
The two musicians have sued Sheeran for USD 20mn (or £13.8m) over the latter’s single. Harrington and Leonard’s single was released in 2009 and to prove the similarities between two compositions, the ‘Amazing’ songwriters released documents to support the claim.
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With 39 identical notes, the duo has also claimed that the similarities are “instantly recognisable to the ordinary observer.”
The lawsuit says, “ “Given the striking similarity between the chorus of Amazing and Photograph, (the) defendants knew when writing, publishing, recording, releasing, and distributing Photograph that they were infringing on a pre-existing musical composition. The conduct of (the) defendants has been willful from the inception of the creation of Photograph. The copying of Amazing by Photograph is breathtaking in its deliberateness, magnitude, and hubris.”
Listen to the two tracks here –
Ed Sheeran – Photograph
Matt Cardle – Amazing
