Jury Finds Robin Thicke and Pharell Guilty of Blurring Lines

A lawyer for the estate of Marvin Gaye says that he is attempting to block all future sales of the single “Blurred Lines” until an agreement is reached. 

A Los Angeles jury determined that when writing the hit “Blurred Lines,” Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I. noticeably ripped off Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give it Up.”  Now, Williams, Thicke, and T.I. must pay Gaye’s family $7.3 million as part of the ruling.  The verdict puts to rest a year of legal battles between Thicke and Gaye’s estate, which originally sought $25 million in damages. 

“While we respect the judicial process, we are extremely disappointed in the ruling made today, which sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity going forward,” Williams, Thicke and T.I. said in a joint statement.  “’Blurred Lines’ was created from the heart and minds of Pharrell, Robin and T.I. and not taken from anyone or anywhere else.  We are reviewing the decision, considering our options and you will hear more from us soon about this matter.”

See Kory Grow, Robin Thicke, Pharrell Lose Multi-Million Dollar ‘Blurred Lines’ Lawsuit, Rolling Stone, March 10, 2015.