Australian songwriters sue Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Ed Sheeran

US country superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, along with Ed Sheeran are being sued by Australian songwriters Sean Carey and Beau Golden.

Carey was a guitarist with Sydney band Thirsty Merc between 2004 and 2010.

Golden is an in-demand keyboard player, musical director, songwriter and producer who’s worked with Jasmine Rae, Samantha Jade and Amali Ward, among many others.

They have filed a complaint with the New York federal court on Wednesday in which they label McGaw and Hill’s 2017 song ‘The Rest of Our Life’ "blatant copying" of their 2014 song ‘When I Found You’, which was a hit for Australian country singer Jasmine Rae who also has a writing credit on the song.

The complaint stated, "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 seeking at least US$5 million in damages, a share of royalties plus an injunction permanently blocking the use of the song.

The two Australian songwriters have hired Nashville-based lawyer Richard Busch, who represented Marvin Gaye’s family when they sued Robin Thicke over the song ‘Blurred Lines’.

The McGraw/Hill song was written by four songwriters. The other three, Johnny McDaid, Steve Mac and Amy Wadge, are also named in the court action along with their respective publishing companies Sony/ATV, Universal Polygram and WB Music.

Rae’s song, described as “the ultimate wedding song”, came from her album Heartbeat (ABC Music). Which entered the ARIA Hot 50 and reached #3 on the ARIA Country Chart.

Rae, a three-time ARIA nominee, was also 2012 and 2014 CMC Female Oz Artist of the Year.

McGraw/Hill’s ‘The Rest of Our Life’ was the lead-off single and title track of their current duets album.

It has got steady airplay on American country radio and entered some US country charts.

This is not the first time that Richard Busch has locked horns with Ed Sheeran over copyright infringement.

In 2016 he successfully represented songwriters Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard in a $20 million lawsuit over Sheeran’s ‘Photograph’.

They claimed verbatim, note-for-note copying” of their 2009 work ‘Amazing’ which was recorded as a single by 2010 X Factor UK winner Matt Cardle.

Harrington and Leonard now have a songwriting credit on ‘Photograph’and a share of its royalties.