It's the shape of success: Sheeran wins fight over ‘magpie' claims

ED SHEERAN today won a High Court battle over the copyright of his 2017 single Shape of You, after fending off allegations that he is a musical “magpie” who steals from other artists.

- Tristan Kirk

The 31-year-old was accused of ripping off 2015’s Oh Why by grime artist Sami Chokri when Sheeran wrote the hit with Snow Patrol’s Johnny McDaid and producer Steven McCutcheon.

Chokri — who performs as Sami Switch — and his co-writer Ross O’Donoghue claimed an “Oh I” hook in Shape Of You is “strikingly similar” to the “Oh Why” refrain in their track.

Sheeran was accused of being a “magpie” by taking ideas from lesser known writers without credit, but he denied the claim during an 11-day High Court trial.