Let’s Call It Off: Ed Sheeran Copyright Accusers Withdraw Lawsuit Appeal

Ed Sheeran is free at last from his ongoing copyright battle with the estate of Ed Townsend, which has permanently withdrawn its appeal to the May lawsuit verdict that ruled against its claims that Sheeran had ripped off the late songwriter’s work on Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” Here’s what we know:

The lowdown: Townsend’s family filed to withdraw their appeal on September 20, effectively ending their legal feud with Sheeran once and for all. The motion comes years after they first sued the redheaded pop star in 2016, accusing him of ripping off Gaye’s 1973 hit with his own “Thinking Out Loud.”

The two parties went on to duke it out in court earlier this year, with the plaintiffs citing a video of Sheeran performing a mashup of the two songs in concert as a “smoking gun” piece of evidence proving his guilt. But clearly, the jury sided with Sheeran, who (hilariously) countered the argument by saying: “If I had done what you’re accusing me of doing, I’d be quite an idiot to stand on a stage in front of 20,000 people and do that.”

And though Team Townsend at one point wanted to revisit the ruling, the recent withdrawal of their appeal was done “with prejudice” – meaning they can’t refile their case in the future.

What they’re saying: Townsend’s estate didn’t provide an official reason for withdrawing the appeal, but Sheeran’s lawyer has a theory. “The plaintiffs recognized that an appeal would end up with the verdict being affirmed but also with them being exposed to legal fees and costs, and wisely withdrew the appeal,” attorney Ilene Farkas said in a statement to ABC News.