A jury in the United States is to decide the outcome of a lawsuit involving British singer Ed Sheeran.
The lawsuit is accusing him of ripping off parts of the Marvin Gaye song 'Let's Get It On'.
District Judge Louis Stanton has ruled that a jury should decide, after he rejected a request by Sheeran for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
The judge said there were "substantial similarities between several of the two works' musical elements" - including their bass lines and percussion.
Jurors "may be impressed by footage of a Sheeran performance which shows him seamlessly transitioning between [the songs]," he wrote.
27-year-old Sheeran denies copying the song in his piece 'Thinking Out Loud'.
His defence team has argued that 'Thinking Out Loud' is characterised by "sombre, melancholic tones, addressing long-lasting romantic love", while 'Let's Get It On' is a "sexual anthem".
Despite this, Judge Stanton said they could be viewed as having the same "aesthetic appeal".
The lawsuit has been brought against Sheeran, as well as co-writer Amy Padge, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and the Atlantic record label, by the estate and heirs of late producer Edward Townsend, who co-wrote 'Let's Get It On with Gaye'.
'Thinking Out Loud' peaked on the charts in February 2015, while 'Let's Get It On' was a number one hit back in September 1973.
Additional reporting: IRN
