A Los Angeles jury has found that “Blurred Lines”, Robin Thicke’s number one Billboard single featuring Pharrell Williams and T.I., infringed upon the copyright for Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up”.
Originally, Robin Thicke preemptively sued the Gaye estate to protect “Blurred Lines” and claimed the Gaye family made an invalid copyright claim in August of 2013. The lawsuit claimed the family alleged that the two songs felt or sounded the same, and that the “Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work.” Pharrell and Robin Thicke maintain that the song was written entirely by them and that the instrumental was an original composition of Pharrell’s.
Even though Williams and Thicke were successful in their motion to not have “Got to Give It Up” played during the trial, a jury still found the two guilty of copyright infringement. T.I., however, was not found guilty of any infringement.
“Blurred Lines” was a smash hit in 2013 that initially made headlines for it’s very NSFW music video, featuring topless models and claims that song had undertones of forgoing consent. Despite it’s controversy, the song was featured as part of a Beats by Dre Pill commercial, peaked at number one in 14 countries, spent 12 weeks at number one in the United States, and became Robin Thicke’s only certified platinum single. Thicke even performed the song as a duet with Miley Cyrus during her now infamous 2013 MTV Video Music Awards performance.
Nona Gaye, daughter of Marvin, said outside the courthouse, “Right now, I feel free from Pharrell Williams’ and Robin Thicke’s chains that they tried to keep on us and the lies that they told. This was a miracle.”
The Gaye family was awarded $7.3 million for the infringement.
