A US court has ruled that British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ when composing his hit song, Thinking Out Loud. Heirs of Gaye’s co-writer had argued that Sheeran, along with Warner Music Group and Sony Music Publishing, owed them money for copyright infringement. Sheeran had denied the allegations and said he would give up his music career if found guilty.

The court ruled that Sheeran “independently” created his song. Sheeran expressed his relief and frustration that baseless claims like this are allowed to go to court. He added that songwriters need creative freedom to produce original music without the fear of being wrongly accused.