A British court ruled in favour of plagiarised content

Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” has been in the news recently, after a British court ruled in favour of plagiarised content elements of another song. The case highlights the realities of pop songwriting in the streaming era.

On the surface, it may seem like Ed Sheeran lifted a few notes from Martin Garrix and Justin Bieber’s “Stolen Dance.” But the court found that the similarities were not enough to constitute plagiarism. In fact, the two songs share some common pop songwriting conventions.

For one, both songs are in the key of A minor. This is a very popular key for pop songs, as it is easy to sing in and has a catchy sound. Additionally, both songs use the same chord progression. This progression is also very common in pop music, as it is easy to remember and sounds good.

The court found that these similarities were not enough to constitute plagiarism. However, they do highlight the realities of pop songwriting in the streaming era. With so many songs being released, it is inevitable that some will sound similar. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can lead to catchy and memorable songs. However, it does mean that songwriters must be careful to avoid plagiarism.

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