Ed Sheeran sued for plagiarism over co-written Faith Hill and Tim McGraw track

Ed Sheeran has been named in a plagiarism lawsuit by two writers of a hit song by Australian country music star, Jasmine Rae.

Sean Carey and Beau Golden filed a lawsuit in New York last week alleging that a song co-written by Sheeran titled The Rest Of Our Life – which was for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill – was an “almost note for note copy” of Rae’s When I Found You, written by the plaintiffs.

The document – obtained and published by The Hollywood Reporter - states: “The copying is, in many instances, verbatim, note-for-note copying of original elements of the Song, and is obvious to the ordinary observer.”

Carey and Golden are being represented by lawyer Richard Busch who brought Marvin Gaye’s family’s case against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams’ Blurred Lines to dispute, ending in a $5.3 million victory for the family for sampling Got To Give It Up.

Busch has also previously faced Sheeran, when he was sued last year over similar claims about his single, Photograph, eventually settling out of court.

The suit – which also names Sheeran’s co-writers Johnny McDaid, Steve Mac and Amy Wadge - seeks $5 million in damages as well as an injunction against the song, blocking its use.

The complainants claim singer Rae first mentioned the potential plagiarism after a fan asked her if she’d heard McGraw and Hill’s new song.

Rae, however, is absent from the case because her boyfriend Tim Holland had been involved in promoting the offending song and had been aware of the similarities.

Evening Standard Online have contacted representatives of Ed Sheeran for comment.