Ed Sheeran has finally come to a deal pertaining to the copyright infringement lawsuit over his hit song “Photograph.
Songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard were initially demanding $20 million in damages. The pair claimed that the track was derivative of personal work. In June of last year, they filed the lawsuit alongside publishers HaloSongs, noting similarities between Sheeran’s “Photograph” and their 2009 song “Amazing.”
On April 7, court papers revealed the case was dismissed with prejudice. The California Federal Court will retain the power to enforce the terms of agreement. According to The Hollywood Reporter, there has been no word on settlement terms for either side.
Harrington and Leonard received representation from Richard Busch, the same attorney behind some of the music business’ biggest cases, including the “Blurred Lines” lawsuit.
Matt Cardle, who released “Amazing” following his 2010 X-Factor win, distanced himself from the entire case. “This is not my lawsuit. I think Ed Sheeran is a genius. And, 100 percent deserves all his success,” he publicly expressed.