| The singer’s trial for copyright infringement of Marvin Gaye and Ed Townsend’s “Let’s Get It On” highlights how hard it is to draw the property lines of pop.  Photo illustration by Mark Harris; Source photographs from Getty Ed Sheeran keeps ending up in court. Has he become the target of copyright trolls, eager to cash in on his huge songwriting success, or has he, at times, borrowed too liberally from the past work of others in the creation of some of his biggest hits? In this week’s Music Issue, John Seabrook reports from the recently concluded plagiarism case brought against Sheeran in New York, weighing both sides of this question while also exploring the complicated legal precedents of copyright in the world of pop. “The property lines of popular music are hard to draw,” Seabrook writes. “Inspiration, imitation, homage, and pastiche are all at play. Often, the trick is to sound new and old at the same time. But at what point do influence and interpolation become appropriation and plagiarism?” This deeply engrossing story searches for an answer—and includes embedded clips from disputed songs over the years, so you can listen and decide for yourself. Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » | 
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