LONDON,United Kingdom (Reuters) — Two California-based musicians are suing British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran for $20 million over his hit song “Photograph,” which they claim bears a similar structure to one of their songs, according to court documents filed on Wednesday (June 8).
The copyright infringement lawsuit was filed by Martin Harrington, a songwriter and producer, and Thomas Leonard, a songwriter signed to Harrington’s company HaloSongs, in federal court in the Central District of California.
The two musicians allege Sheeran’s ballad “Photograph,” released as a single in 2015, has the same musical composition to their song “Amazing,” which they said they wrote in 2009.
Other named defendants include Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid, credited as a co-writer of “Photograph,” as well as units of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Warner Music Group and its subsidiary, Atlantic Recording Corporation.
Representatives for Sheeran, McDaid, Sony Music, Warner Music and Atlantic did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
