Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams got to give it up after a Los Angeles jury ruled that the two songwriters copied Marvin Gaye’s 1977 song “Got to Give It Up” for their 2013 hit “Blurred Lines.” (That joke was terrible, wasn’t it? We apologize.) Thicke and Williams have to give up $7.5 million, to be exact, ending more than a year of legal proceedings between the two sides.
During the trial that began in February, Williams testified that “Blurred Lines” had a similar “feel” to “Got to Give It Up,” but he did not copy the melodies nor any lyrics while writing his song. Thicke actually performed “Blurred Lines” for jurors, in addition to Gaye’s song and tunes by U2, Michael Jackson and The Beatles to demonstrate similar chord progressions in that music. Meanwhile, the Gaye family’s lawyers were not allowed to play the recorded version of “Got to Give It Up,” since the lawsuit applied to what was written on sheet music.
Gaye’s family was seeking $25 million in damages, though “Blurred Lines” earned approximately $16.5 million in profits, according to Variety. Thicke reportedly pocketed $5.6 million of those revenues, while Williams received $5.2 million. Additionally, Williams earned $4.3 million in publishing profits from the song and $860,000 for producing. The Gaye estate was seeking a piece of those revenues, along with money Thicke made from touring.
http://youtu.be/wXKghTAwFGU
