Robin Thicke Sues to Protect 'Blurred Lines' from Marvin Gaye's Family

By Anonymous -

Thicke, Pharrell Williams and Clifford Harris, Jr. claim they were threatened by both Gaye's family and Funkadelic, each asserting that the summer hit wasn't original. 

Marvin Gaye's song:



Robin Thicke's song:





In order to shield "Blurred Lines," the hottest hit of the summer, Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and Clifford Harris, Jr. are going to court.

A lawsuit was filed Thursday in California federal court by the trio against Marvin Gaye's family and Bridgeport Music, which owns some of Funkadelic's compositions. At issue are complaints about similarities between "Blurred Lines" and at least two songs.

According to the suit, a copy of which was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, "Plaintiffs, who have the utmost respect for and admiration of Marvin Gaye, Funkadelic and their musical legacies, reluctantly file this action in the face of multiple adverse claims from alleged successors in interest to those artists. Defendants continue to insist that plaintiffs' massively successful composition, 'Blurred Lines,' copies 'their' compositions."

Read the lawsuit here.

The suit claims the Gaye family is alleging that "Blurred Lines" and Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" "feel" or "sound" the same, and that the "Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work."

As for Funkadelic, there's said to be claimed similarity between Thicke's hit and Funakedlic's "Sexy Ways."
"But there are no similarities between plaintiffs' composition and those the claimants allege they own, other than commonplace musical elements," states the lawsuit. "Plaintiffs created a hit and did it without copying anyone else's composition."

A New York TImes critic has noted that "Blurred Lines" is "influenced heavily" by Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up,” but the lawsuit makes the point that "being reminiscent of a 'sound' is not copyright infringement. The intent in producing 'Blurred Lines' was to evoke an era."

STORY: Robin Thicke's Rare Double No. 1 Album, No. 1 Song

The Gayes and Bridgeport are said to be threatening litigation should the plaintiffs not pay a monetary settlement. Rather than wait for such a lawsuit to proceed, the plaintiffs are going to court to determine the parties' respective rights and obligations.

In seeking a judgment, Thicke, Williams and Harris Jr. are not only looking for a declaration that their song doesn't violate the defendants' rights by copying their songs, but also that the "Gayes do not have an interest in the copyright to the composition 'Got To Give It Up' sufficient to confer standing on them to pursue claims of infringement of that composition."

The plaintiffs are represented by Howard King and Stephen Rothschild of King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner.

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for commenting. You email address and IP Address has been recorded for future reference. any anonymous comment which is deemed abusive will be removed and investigated for further action.

Popular posts from this blog

FOX NEWS HOST REFUSES TO BOARD PLANE WITH BLACK FEMALE PILOT

By Anonymous -
conservative commentator and author Ann Coulter has lost her mind! She refused to stay on board a Miami to New York flight after learning the pilot was a Black woman. According to witnesses, Coulter was concerned the experienced, decorated pilot may have gained her position as a result of affirmative action and wasn’t fully qualified to fly. The incident began when Coulter boarded the American Airlines flight and took up her first class seat. After a trip to the bathroom, she noticed the pilot was a black woman and became immediately distraught. According to passengers, at that point Coulter stood at the front of the cabin and began screaming her concerns to the entire flight as they finished boarding. “Aw come on people, a black woman flying a plane? You know she got that job through affirmative action. Am I the only one worried about this? I mean hello? Our lives are at stake here…” The confused passengers weren’t sure what to make of Coulter’s outburst, and rema...
Read more

MOM & 12 KIDS HOMELESS AFTER FAKE LANDLORD SCAM

By Anonymous -
Image
After pouring thousands of dollars into her decrepit house, Tocco Collins made the heartbreaking discovery that she had been seriously scammed. The mother of 12 had waited patiently for her landlords to deliver on their promises to fix the house’s holes, broken windows and burned out light box, CBS Atlanta reports. But after seven months, Collins learned that the phonies she had been paying $600 a month in rent didn’t own the home and had also skipped town. The actual owner had no idea her home was being rented out. “Step by step, I’m trying to make some effort,” Collins told the news outlet. “Right now I’m lost.” The Atlanta mother and her children are now homeless. They’re also at risk of getting broken up by child services, a devastating fate that do-gooders are trying to prevent. Members of Occupy Atlanta are raising money for the family to buy a new home, and volunteers said they would help renovate the new residence after it’s secured. Getting duped by a ...
Read more

Run-D.M.C. Producer Larry Smith Dead at 63

By Anonymous -
Image
Larry Smith, producer of some of the most cherished hip-hop records of the Eighties, including Run-D.M.C. 's first two albums, died Thursday at the age of 63. Radio host Combat Jack broke the news on Twitter , writing: "Just spoke to his family. RIP Larry Smith, the original King of Beats who passed away last night." A Queens native, Smith began his career as a session musician and quickly struck up a partnership with Kurtis Blow after playing bass on "Christmas Rappin'."  Smith would continue to play on a number of Blow's tracks, co-writing a few as well, including the MC's breakthrough record, "The Breaks,"  which became the first rap record to be certified gold. Smith then began working with Blow's manager at the time, Russell Simmons. The two co-produced a handful of tracks for Jimmy Spicer – including the oft-sampled "Money (Dollar Bill Y'All)"  – before helping make hip-hop history with Run-D.M.C.'s ...
Read more