A Los Angeles jury has decided that “Robin Thicke noticeably ripped off Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give It Up” when he wrote the smash hit “Blurred Lines” with Pharrell Williams and T.I.
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams have been ordered to pay $7.3 million in damages to Gaye’s estate, which originally asked for $25 million. The jurors based their decision on testimony from music experts and Thicke and Williams themselves.
Their decision marks the highest ever copyright infringement ruling of $5.4 million that Michael Bolton had to pay to the Isley Brothers for “Love is a Wonderful Thing”.
“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. “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,” Thicke, Williams and T.I. said in their statement.
Representatives of Gaye’s estate have not made any comments yet.
