Music Legal: Robin Thicke & Pharrell Lose First Round Of 'Blurred Lines' Lawsuit

[playahaitian]

Robin Thicke & Pharrell Lose First Round Of 'Blurred Lines' Lawsuit

Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams lost the first round of their "Blurred Lines" lawsuit against Marvin Gaye's estate. Earlier this year, the two musicians filed a lawsuit after receiving threats from Gaye's family, who accused Thicke and Williams of stealing parts of their hit song "Blurred Lines" from Gaye's "Got to Give It Up." Gaye's estate then filed a countersuit, claiming that Thicke had a "Marvin Gaye fixation," in addition to stealing music. Now, a California judge ruled that the songs may be substantially similar.

U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt denied Thicke and Williams' motion for summary judgement on Thursday, citing that there was enough evidence to move forward with the Gaye family's claim. He wrote that the "defendants have made a sufficient showing that elements of 'Blurred Lines' may be substantially similar to protected, original elements of 'Got to Give It Up.'"​

Kronstadt's ruling saw similarities in the two songs' bass lines, keyboard parts, vocal lines, melodies and harmonies. The trial is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2015.

The lawsuit made headlines last month when The Hollywood Reporter obtained depositions from April, which contained bizarre revelations about the making "Blurred Lines." Thicke admitted that Williams wrote the song, though he tried to take credit for it, that he was "high on Vicodin and alcohol" during studio time and lied about the process of writing the song in previous interviews.

Billboard reports that the case could be one of the biggest trials over alleged song theft ever.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/31/robin-thicke-pharell-blurred-lines-lawsuit_n_6081362.html

http://www.bgol.us/board/showthread.php?p=14885027#post14885027

 

[TEN]

I hope pharrell never works with that culture vulture again.

Wise up P.

 

[sammyjax]

I hope pharrell never works with that culture vulture again.

Wise up P.

it was more pharrell's song that it was thicke's

not excusing it, just saying it ain't exactly like P was a victim here.

 

[easy_b]

they better settle

 

[playahaitian]

they better settle

i agree

I think the public reaction to some of the comments they made during the deposition did NOT help...

I was afraid this would happen to P though...

his whole return based on paying homage to the many music greats that were either forgotten not appreciated or genuinely unknown to the modern audience was laudable...

but then some of the comments and stuff just killed that.

Wonder if they had shown respect publicly to the family EARLY broke them off and not filed that ridiculous initial preemptive suit would this have turned out differently.

 

[HotSauce161]

i agree

I think the public reaction to some of the comments they made during the deposition did NOT help...

I was afraid this would happen to P though...

his whole return based on paying homage to the many music greats that were either forgotten not appreciated or genuinely unknown to the modern audience was laudable...

but then some of the comments and stuff just killed that.

Wonder if they had shown respect publicly to the family EARLY broke them off and not filed that ridiculous initial preemptive suit would this have turned out differently.

This was headed to court no matter what. The Gaye family is pretty litigious. They sued and got a settlement from one of the labels since they represented the interests of the gaye family and pharell/thicke and didn't do right be the gaye family. Once the record became the 'song of the summer' it would have been in court. Even if Thicke and Pharell had made an offer it would have fallen apart once the record got so high profile. And what rate would the offer had been made at? The sample rate, interpolation? When in doubt, let the court handle it.

 

[DWBass]

Basically the judge doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. He's basically saying there is a case but the actual trial will be different. Real musicians will testify and shut this bullshit down. If this flies it will open up a floodgate for more bullshit lawsuits!

 

[Esther]

Why is Robin being blamed. He just sung the song. Blame the producer....blame the New Black.

 

[FJP]

I don't think people realize what this means. This is no way says the Gaye family going to win it is likely to win. All this ruling says basically is that it has grounds. They had motioned for dismissal. All this says is that their claim isn't completely bulllshit

 

[TEN]

it was more pharrell's song that it was thicke's

not excusing it, just saying it ain't exactly like P was a victim here.

Not talking about the song, talking about the cac doing a timberlake
to pharrell.

 

[Helico-pterFunk]

http://www.thewrap.com/robin-thicke...n-stand-during-blurred-lines-copyright-trial/
https://www.yahoo.com/music/blurred-lines-trial-reveals-how-much-money-robin-112624098686.html

 

[34real]

Marvin lives on....

 

[Amajorfucup]

Cant wait to bump the original thread and expose all the fake ass musical experts that were talking cash shit .

 

[SPECTRE1]

People stealing like this is more common than you think. Especially Hollywood.

I laugh when they complain about illegal downloading, when parts of their movie was derived from other peoples work.

 

[BDR]

Cant wait to bump the original thread and expose all the fake ass musical experts that were talking cash shit .

That cac robin Thicke better pay up

 

[World B Free]

just a couple of years ago, Thicke was on top of the world, dayummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm it's like he made a deal with the devil not to be the bootleg "Jon B" anymore. Then, he was granted everything, EVERYTHING, yes everything, & the moral of the story, be careful of what you wish for, you might get it.

 

[knightmelodic]

White people can't lose in this country no matter what they do. It's Pharrell that will feel the biggest pinch and he probably moved on advice/support of the crackas. We stay getting used.

 

[Theo_Huxtable]

White people can't lose in this country no matter what they do. It's Pharrell that will feel the biggest pinch and he probably moved on advice/support of the crackas. We stay getting used.

NOW people finally see it.


Months ago on the subject...
BGOL: HA! THAT CAC GONNA GET HIS!!
Me: No, actually Pharrell's gonna catch the brunt of this.
BGOL: SHUT UP CAC LUVA NIGGA! FUCK ROBIN THICKE NICCA!!! FUCKEM!




short sighted as fuck...not talking directly about you btw knight.​

 

[ViCiouS]

Cant wait to bump the original thread and expose all the fake ass musical experts that were talking cash shit .

I stand by what I wrote in that thread - lets see how the trial plays out if this isn't settled out of court first

 

[Amajorfucup]

I stand by what I wrote in that thread - lets see how the trial plays out if this isn't settled out of court first

And you were wrong then. And you are wrong now. Thanks for showing up tho. Oh, and dont worry about a settlement. I told you they should have been done that. Too fucking late.

See you after the verdict.

 

[playahaitian]

'Blurred Lines' Appeal Backed By 200 Musicians 'Concerned by the Potential Adverse Impact' of the Court's Decision

Over 200 recording artists, spanning genres and decades of popular music, saw Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams in legal trouble and realized their own art could be adversely affected by a 2015 legal ruling that went against the two pop stars. So they lent their signatures to an amicus brief filed on behalf of the "Blurred Lines" artists, who are currently hoping to overturn the 2015 copyright case against them.

A federal court ruled that Thicke and Pharrell infringed on Marvin Gaye's "Got to Get It Up" for their chart-topping hit, but many found the decision to be controversial. The stars immediately moved to appeal the hefty dues owed to the Gaye estate, citing the difference in melodic and harmonic structure between the two tracks. And, perhaps fearing that they too might come under more legal scrutiny for derivative rhythm lines and "vibes," (look at Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, and Led Zeppelin) musicians were willing to join the cause in the form of the amicus brief. In it the artists assert, "[they] are concerned about the potential adverse impact on their own creativity, on the creativity of future artists, and on the music industry in general." It goes on:

The verdict in this case threatens to punish songwriters for creating new music that is inspired by prior works. All music shares inspiration from prior musical works, especially within a particular musical genre. By eliminating any meaningful standard for drawing the line between permissible inspiration and unlawful copying, the judgment is certain to stifle creativity and impede the creative process.

Among the names listed on the document are members of Earth, Wind & Fire, Tears for Fears, Linkin Park, Three 6 Mafia, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Hall & Oates, and solo artists including R. Kelly, Jennifer Hudson and Jean-Baptiste. You can read it in full below:

https://www.scribd.com/document/322...rs-Composers-Musicians-And-Produce#from_embed

 

[slam]

T.I. in th cut like.....

 

[playahaitian]

T.I. in th cut like.....

not so fast....

http://www.bgol.us/forum/index.php?...t-i-held-liable-for-blurred-lines-too.840738/

 

[man-machine]

Basically the judge doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about. He's basically saying there is a case but the actual trial will be different. Real musicians will testify and shut this bullshit down. If this flies it will open up a floodgate for more bullshit lawsuits!

I agree this case is Bullshit. The recent ruling in Led Zepplin vs Spirit shows that sounding alike is meaningless. My niece and I had a big discussion on this case and I gave a her a list of songs over the course of 70s 80s and 90s that sounded alike or had similar chord and rhythm patterns. It made her head spin. Like they say there are only so many notes.

 

[playahaitian]

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[playahaitian]

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[playahaitian]

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[playahaitian]

Pharrell Williams did not commit perjury in 'Blurred Lines' case, judge rules

A judge ruled that Pharrell Williams did not commit perjury in the infamous 'Blurred Lines' copyright case.

ew.com

Pharrell Williams did not commit perjury in 'Blurred Lines' case, judge rules

By Tyler Aquilina
February 13, 2021 at 01:04 PM EST


At long last, it seems the "Blurred Lines" copyright lawsuit has been put to rest for good.

The contentious case — in which Marvin Gaye's family alleged Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke ripped off Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" for their hit 2013 single — concluded in 2018 with a controversial ruling that Williams and Thicke were liable for copyright infringement. In December 2019, however, Gaye's family filed a motion in federal court accusing Williams of committing perjury during the case.

The plaintiffs cited a GQ interview from November of that year in which Williams said he "reverse engineered" Gaye's song, arguing that this contradicted his statement during a deposition that he "did not go in the studio with the intention of making anything feel like, or to sound like, Marvin Gaye."

Discussing his music production process in the GQ interview, Williams said, "We try to figure out if we can build a building that doesn't look the same, but makes you feel the same way. I did that in 'Blurred Lines,' and got myself in trouble."



On Friday, in what seems to be the final note of the long legal saga, a California federal judge ruled that Williams' statements did not show he committed perjury.

"The statements by Williams during the November 2019 Interview were cryptic and amenable to multiple interpretations," U.S. District Court Judge John Kronstadt wrote. "For example, it is unclear what Williams meant by 'reverse-engineer[ing].' Read in context, Williams statement about 'reverse-engineering' could be interpreted as a process in which he remembers his feelings when listening to particular music, and then attempts to recreate those feelings in his own works. This is not inconsistent with his deposition testimony, in which he claimed that he realized after creating 'Blurred Lines' that the feeling he tried to capture in the song, was one that he associated with Marvin Gaye."

"For these reasons, the Gaye Parties have not shown by clear and compelling evidence that there are sufficiently material inconsistencies between Williams' statements in the November 2019 Interview and his sworn testimony, to support a finding of perjury," the ruling continues.

Gaye's family had been seeking about $3.5 million in attorney fees and costs, which Judge Kronstadt had denied them in the copyright suit. He did, however, award the family damages as well as half of all future royalties for "Blurred Lines."

EW has reached out to Williams for comment.

 

[playahaitian]

'Blurred Lines' controversy resurfaces as Marvin Gaye's family claims Pharrell committed perjury

By Tyler Aquilina
December 06, 2019 at 08:28 PM EST



Yet another pop-culture revival has appeared on the scene, though it’s not one anyone was clamoring for. The long copyright lawsuit over Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke‘s “Blurred Lines,” and whether it ripped off Marvin Gaye‘s “Got to Give It Up,” reared its head again after supposedly concluding in 2018.

On Friday, Gaye’s family filed a motion in federal court alleging Williams lied under oath in the case. The motion points to a November GQ interview in which the “Happy” singer told producer Rick Rubin he “reverse engineered” Gaye’s tune.

“We try to figure out if we can build a building that doesn’t look the same, but makes you feel the same way,” Williams said of his production process in the interview. “I did that in ‘Blurred Lines,’ and got myself in trouble.”

Gaye’s family argues this statement shows Williams committed perjury during his deposition in the copyright case, when he stated: “I did not go in the studio with the intention of making anything feel like, or to sound like, Marvin Gaye.”

CREDIT: JOSH BRASTED/FILMMAGIC

“These admissions are irreconcilable with Williams’s repeated, sworn testimony in this action that: neither ‘Got To’ nor Marvin Gaye ever entered his mind while creating ‘Blurred,’ that he did not try to make ‘Blurred’ feel like ‘Got To’ or sound like Marvin Gaye,” the Gaye family’s motion reads, arguing this constitutes “a fraud on this Court.” The Gayes are now urging California Judge John A. Kronstadt to reverse his decision in the copyright suit denying them an award of millions in attorney fees.

“Williams made intentional, material misrepresentations to the jury and this Court as part of an unconscionable scheme to improperly influence the jury and the Court in their decisions,” the document continues. “Nothing was more central to this case than whether ‘Got To’ or Marvin Gaye was on Williams’s mind while he was engaged in creating ‘Blurred.’ That fact was central to the issue of whether Williams and Thicke illegally copied ‘Got To’ and whether their copying was willful, and they knew it. It was also central to their defense of ‘independent creation.’ And it became central in this Court’s analysis of whether to award attorneys’ fees.”

In 2015, a jury found Williams and Thicke liable for copyright infringement, and an appeals court upheld the ruling in 2018, with Judge Kronstadt awarding damages and half of all future royalties for “Blurred Lines” to the Gaye family.

The decision was highly controversial, with many musicians arguing the song was an homage to Gaye rather than a ripoff. Rubin echoes these feelings in the GQ interview, saying, “The song is nothing like the song…The feeling is not something that you can copyright.”

The accusations “hurt my feelings, because I would never take anything from anyone. And it really set me back,” Williams says.

“It’s bad for music,” Rubin continues. “We’ve had an understanding of what a song is, and now, based on that one case, now there’s a question of what a song is. It’s not what it used to be…. It leaves us as music-makers in a really uncomfortable place making things, because now we don’t know what you can do.”

 

[Helico-pterFunk]

Pharrell is off the hook after a judge rules he didn't commit perjury

The 47-year-old singer, songwriter and producer was found not to have lied under oath about plagiarizing Marvin Gaye's Got To Give It Up for his hit Blurred Lines.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Marvin Gaye Estate, Pharrell Williams Urge Court to Rule in Latest Lawsuit

The Marvin Gaye estate and Pharrell Williams have jointly urged the court to issue a ruling in their latest courtroom confrontation.

www.digitalmusicnews.com

Rick Rubin on Pharrell’s “Blurred Lines” Lawsuit: "A Feeling Is Not Something You Can Copyright"

In an extended sit-down conversation with Rick Rubin, Pharrell discusses the drawn-out litigation over his contentious 2013 hit song.

www.gq.com

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