Last year the family of the late Marvin Gaye was awarded $5.3 million and 50 percent royalties of the hit single, “Blurred Lines,” as Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were found guilty in copying Gaye’s classic 1977 hit “Got To Give It Up.”
However, in a recent appeal many artists such as Earth Wind & Fire, R. Kelly, Jennifer Hudson, and many others have shown their support by signing an amicus brief supporting both Robin Thicke and Pharrell.
According to Rolling Stone, they were not going let the verdict slide without appealing. In the amicus brief it states that the verdict will not have a positive impact on the creative process for artists who are inspired by prior works or from other artists. It also asks for a clearer definition on what considers material to be copyright infringement.
The writers of “Blurred Lines” stated that with the sheet music of both songs present there should of not been a case to begin with. However, it was the recordings of both tracks that were taken into account by both the judge and jury.
Although the amicus brief states that both “Blurred Lines” and “Got To Give It Up” share no similar lyrics, melodies or song structures. The court ruled that, “Blurred Lines” significantly imitated the vibe of “Got to Give It Up.”
Roommates what are your thoughts?
Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rivers-cuomo-r-kelly-support-blurred-lines-appeal-w437201
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