Blurred lines ordered to pay $7.3 to Marvin Gaye's family

31.03.2015

On Tuesday, 10th March, ‘Blurred Lines’ writers, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke, lost a lawsuit against Marvin Gaye’s heirs and will have to pay more than $7.3 million. The court considered that Williams and Thicke crossed the “blurred line” between homage and plagiarism.

This whole process, ironically, began in August 2013 with Thicke and Williams as plaintiffs. They tried to stop Mr. Gaye’s family from suing them for copyright infringement. It was then when Marvin Gaye’s children, Nona, Frankie and Marvin III, countersued.

After almost a year and half, a federal jury in Los Angeles conclude that ‘Blurred Lines’ ripped off Gaye’s 1977 song ‘Got to give it up’. The jury found that Thicke and Williams went too far by copying Gaye’s song elements without license and committed plagiarism, awarding to the family of Marvin Gaye, who – died on 1984 – almost $7.4 million. Therefore, Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III will receive $4 million in damages and $3.3 million.

According to Business Insider, ‘Blurred lines’, probably the greatest hit in 2013, generated $16.6 million, of which Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams earned over $5 million each one, rapper T.I. earned over 700.000 and the three record companies involved, Interscope Records, Universal Music Group and Star Trak, split the remainder.

Just a day after the judgement, the attorneys of both parts made their statements.

Mr. Gaye’s family attorney, Richard Busch announce they have filed an injunction against further distribution and sale of the song until they can reach and agreement with Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams about how future profits will be distributed.

On the other hand, Howard King, Williams and Thicke’s attorney, told the press that they will appeal the verdict. In his statement, he said: “We owe it to songwriters around the world to make sure this verdict doesn't stand”, and continued “my clients know that they wrote the song 'Blurred Lines' from their hearts and souls and no other source”, adding that his clients sleep well knowing they didn’t copy the song.

Complainants and respondents have also commented the decision.

The family of Marvin Gaye, last Wednesday 18th, wrote an open letter to “set the record straight on a few misconceptions” surrounding their lawsuit with ‘Blurred lines’ writers. In the letter, Gaye’s children think about how his father would have managed this situation: "If he were alive today, we feel he would embrace the technology available to artists […] But we also know he would be vigilant about safeguarding the artist's rights. He also gave credit where credit is due." In addition, they settle how Thicke and Williams could have avoided all this: "Like most artists, they could have licensed and secured the song for appropriate usage, this did not happen. We would have welcomed a conversation with them before the release of their work. This also did not happen."

Pharrell Williams’ response arrived the next day. On Thursday 19th, Williams spoke out for the first time since the jury decision was made public. "The verdict handicaps any creator out there who is making something that might be inspired by something else”, said the singer, composer and producer. And he added that "everything that's around you in a room was inspired by something or someone. If you kill that, there's no creativity."

 

Written by: Alberto Lorente

Sources:

http://www.elmundo.es/cultura/2015/03/11/5500a720268e3ec92f8b4574.html

http://www.lavanguardia.com/gente/20150312/54428100442/pharrell-williams-robin-thicke-recurriran-sentencia-plagio-marvin-gaye.html

http://www.darbaculture.com/2015/03/05/esto-es-lo-que-ganaron-pharrell-williams-y-robin-thicke-por-blurred-lines/

http://www.businessinsider.com/court-case-reveals-exactly-how-much-money-pharrell-and-robin-thicke-made-off-blurred-lines-2015-3

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/business/media/blurred-lines-infringed-on-marvin-gaye-copyright-jury-rules.html?action=click&contentCollection=Music&module=RelatedCoverage®ion=Marginalia&pgtype=article&_r=1

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11466384/Robin-Thicke-and-Pharrell-Williams-appeal-Blurred-Lines-plagiarism-verdict.html

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/marvin-gayes-children-what-our-father-would-say-about-lawsuit-20150318

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pharrell-talks-blurred-lines-lawsuit-for-first-time-20150319

Image: Alberto R. Salas bajo licencia Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/12236062@N02/7806599818/

 



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