Shape of You

A judge ruled on Wednesday that the singer-songwriter had not plagiarised the 2015 song 'Oh Why' by Sami Chokri.

Chokri, a grime artist who performs under the name Sami Switch, had claimed the "Oh I" hook in Sheeran's track was "strikingly similar" to an "Oh why" refrain in his own track.

After the ruling, Sheeran said such "baseless" claims "are way too common".

In a video on social media, he said there was now a culture "where a claim is made with the idea that a settlement will be cheaper than taking it to court, even if there's no basis for the claim".

The star has been accused of copying part of the song from another artist.

In closing arguments, grime artist Sami Chokri's barrister said there was an "indisputable similarity between the works". But Mr Sheeran's lawyer said the case against him was "so strained as to be logically unintelligible".

Mr Justice Zacaroli said he would "take some time to consider my judgment".

The 11-day trial ended on Tuesday. Ian Mill QC, representing Mr Sheeran, said it had been "deeply traumatising" for the star and his co-writers, Johnny McDaid and Steve Mac.

Sami Chokri says he was hurt by the tone of Sheeran's lawyers' emails after he noticed similarities between his song Oh Why and Sheeran's Shape Of You.

"I feel like I've been robbed by someone I respect, or respected," he told the court.

"This is years of a cloud over my head. All I heard and read was emails belittling me and my questions."

He continued: "All I wanted to do was ask for an explanation. If I'd had one we wouldn't have had to go through with this rubbish."

He later called the trial "the most horrible few weeks of my life".