Sheeran Song-Theft Case Could Let Jury Hear for Itself, at Last

A Led Zeppelin copyright win will let Ed Sheeran keep a jury next month from hearing his hit song “Thinking Out Loud” side-by-side with Marvin Gaye’s 1973 soul classic “Let’s Get It On,” from which Sheeran allegedly stole.

But the Led Zeppelin case highlighted a path to let a future jury—in another fight Sheeran is having with different rightsholders—compare the sound recordings, something that had been effectively precluded because of the complex development of U.S. music rights.

The lawsuits against Sheeran and Led Zeppelin illustrate the value for plaintiffs of getting disputed songs played for a jury, and illuminate an ...