Ed Sheeran will not stand idly by as he’s accused of being a song thief.
“Thinking Out Loud” singer Sheeran has filed papers in response to a lawsuit alleging that he infringed on another song when he co-wrote “The Rest of Our Life,” which was released by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill last year.
An answer to the lawsuit filed in federal court in New York on Monday notes that Sheeran “denies any infringement” on the plaintiffs’ song, and asks that the suit be tossed.
“Defendant respectfully requests that the Complaint be dismissed in its entirety and that Defendant be awarded such other and further relief as the Court deems just and proper, including attorneys’ fees and costs,” the court papers read.
Sheeran’s answer to the complaint also argues that the allegedly similar portions of the songs are not protectable.
Sheeran and others, including McGraw and Hill, were sued in January by Sean Cary and Beau Golden, who allege that “The Rest of Our Life” bears substantial similarities to their 2014 song “When I Found You,” performed by Jasmine Rae (who is not participating in the suit).
The suit argues that “The Rest of Our Life” is “in many instances, verbatim, note-for-note copying of original elements of [“When I Found You”], and is obvious to the ordinary observer.”
Carey and Golden say Rae’s boyfriend, Tim Holland, a Sony Music employee, was aware that the two songs were substantially similar prior to the release of “The Rest of Our Life.” The suit alleges that he may have been the one to bring the original song to the defendants’ attention “in an effort to gain exposure for Ms. Rae and promote her work.”
However, Sheeran’s answer to the lawsuit contends that the defendants “did not have access to and/or did not copy ‘When I Found You.’”
The suit seeks $5 million in damages in addition to royalties on the song.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.