Court sides with Marvin Gaye family in 'Blurred Lines' fight
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a copyright infringement verdict against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams over the 2013 hit song "Blurred Lines," agreeing with lower courts that it illegally copied from Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give it Up."
In a split decision from a three-judge panel, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the family of the late soul singer is entitled to the $5.3 million it was awarded in a case that has been closely watched in the music industry for its potential effects on copyright and creativity.
Two judges rejected the defense's request to overturn a jury verdict or order a new trial, saying that Gaye's copyright on the song is entitled to broad protection. They accepted a trial court judge's instructions to jurors to decide the case based only on the sheet music to the two songs, and not the recordings.
Judge Jacqueline Nguyen offered a harsh dissent, saying that the two R&B tunes resemble each other only in style not substance and that the decision was detrimental to the future of artists and creativity.
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