Thicke and Pharrell lose Blurred Lines case

[JackSparrow]

 

Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams have lost their Blurred Lines legal case.

The pair have been in court in Los Angeles after Marvin Gaye's children Frankie and Nona Gaye accused them of ripping off the late singer's 1977 hit Got to Give it Up.

According to TMZ.com, the jury found that the single did infringe the copyright of Marvin's song.

His family has now been awarded $7.3 million in damages.

However, the jury also found that Clifford Harris Jr., better known as T.I., whose rap features on Blurred Lines, was not involved in the copyright infringement.

The legal battle between the Gaye family and Robin and Pharrell first started in 2013, when Marvin's children initiated proceedings.

And after a judge denied Robin and Pharrell's request for a summary judgement, the case went to trial.

Explaining his decision for initiating it, U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt said at the time that members of the Gaye family 'have made a sufficient showing that elements of Blurred Lines may be substantially similar to protected, original elements of Got to Give It Up,' adding, 'Defendants have identified these with particularity for purposes of analytic dissection."

Kronstadt also cited 'conflicting analyses' on 'signature phrases, hooks, bass lines, keyboard chords, harmonic structures and vocal melodies' by experts hired by both the plaintiffs and the defendants.

During the trial, an accounting statement revealed to the jury showed just how much Blurred Lines had made ' a staggering $16,675,690.

Of that, Robin took home $5,658,214, Pharrell made $5,153,457 and T.I. made $704,774.

Taking to the stand during the case, Pharrell said he was disappointed to have been accused of lifting material from a singer as iconic as Marvin.

'He's one of the ones we look up to,' he said. 'This is the last place I want to be.'