--- title: Ed Sheeran Faces $20 Million Lawsuit Over 'Photograph' description: The songwriting duo behind Matt Cardle's "Amazing" claim that Sheeran's 2014 hit is a copy of their song canonical: https://time.com/4361887/ed-sheeran-photograph-lawsuit/ author: Daniel White article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-06-08T19:43:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T22:28:44.640Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Ed Sheeran Faces $20 Million Lawsuit Over 'Photograph' og:description: The lawyer who handled the "Blurred Lines" case is representing the plantiffs og:url: https://time.com/4361887/ed-sheeran-photograph-lawsuit/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d286c71b80cb9d2/69885328f887dcf243e90c94/ed-sheeran-roots.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: ed-sheeran-roots og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Ed Sheeran Faces $20 Million Lawsuit Over 'Photograph' twitter:description: The lawyer who handled the "Blurred Lines" case is representing the plantiffs twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1d286c71b80cb9d2/69885328f887dcf243e90c94/ed-sheeran-roots.png?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Ed Sheeran Faces $20 Million Lawsuit Over 'Photograph' > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Giorgio Moroder Describes the Perfect Pop Dance Song [Watch (HLS stream): Giorgio Moroder Describes the Perfect Pop Dance Song](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/J4PWndMR.m3u8) (1:15)  _Published 2015-02-06. At the age of 74, electronic music producer Giorgio Moroder is releasing his first album in three decades._ by [Daniel White](https://time.com/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Jun 8, 2016 7:43 PM UTC  by [Daniel White](https://time.com/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Jun 8, 2016 7:43 PM UTC Ed Sheeran is [being sued over his song](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/08/ed-sheeran-sued-photograph-matt-cardle-amazing) “Photograph,” in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that alleges the English singer-songwriter of “verbatim, note-for-note copying” another song. Songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard say that [Sheeran’s 2014 hit](http://time.com/3853147/ed-sheeran-photograph-video-home-movies/) is nearly identical to their 2009 song “Amazing,” which was released as a single by Matt Cardle, winner of the 2010 season of The X Factor, according to the _Guardian_. “The chorus sections of Amazing and the infringing Photograph share 39 identical notes – meaning the notes are identical in pitch, rhythmic duration, and placement in the measure,” reads the lawsuit, which was filed in a Los Angeles federal court. “The similarity of words, vocal style, vocal melody, melody, and rhythm are clear indicators, among other things, that Photograph copies Amazing.” The duo have hired attorney Richard Busch after he represented Marvin Gaye’s family in a [landmark victory over “Blurred Lines,” the Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams hit](http://time.com/3740944/blurred-lines-lawsuit-comparison/). A jury found Thicke and Williams guilty of copying Gaye’s 1977 song “Got to Give it Up,” awarding his family nearly $7.4 million and [set a precedent for legal disputes over song similarities](http://time.com/3750955/pharrell-blurred-lines-lawsuit-ruling/). 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