We reported a few weeks ago that Marvin Gaye’s family had sued Pharell and Robin Thicke for stealing their famed song “Blurred Lines” from Marvin Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up”. Well the verdict came in yesterday and after a long battle, the judge has awarded the Gaye family $7.4 million in the final judgement.
Marvin Gaye’s daughter, Nona Gaye, wept openly when the news came in and took to the media to express her joy.
“Right now, I feel free,” she said outside court. “Free from … Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told.” Check out the video below where Nona speaks to the press after leaving the courtroom.
https://youtu.be/ctM515BeaA8
Larry Iser, an intellectual property attorney, says he doesn’t agree with the verdict.
“Unfortunately, today’s jury verdict has blurred the lines between protectable elements of a musical composition and the unprotectable musical style or groove exemplified by Marvin Gaye,” Iser said. “Although Gaye was the Prince of Soul, he didn’t own a copyright to the genre, and Thicke and Williams’ homage to the feel of Marvin Gaye is not infringing.”
Many critics in the music world say that this verdict may have set a precedent for other producers or musicians who think it’s okay to emulate other people’s sounds and not properly obtain the work. This ruling may also hurt the almost untarnished reputation of Pharell, who has worked with everyone in the industry and has received many awards for his work. Some even argue that the song “Blurred Lines’ is what catapulted Robin Thicke’s career and now may also set him back as well.
Take a listen to both songs combined in the video below what do you think, was the verdict correct?
SOURCES SITED: MY FOX AUSTIN
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/28364916/jury-finds-pharrell-thicke-copied-for-blurred-lines-song
TSR STAFF: DEBRA OH! @THE_EBONY_ISSUE ON INSTAGRAM AND @TSR_EBONY_ISSUE ON TWITTER!!!
