Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke, and T.I. have lost a copyright lawsuit to the Gaye estate. The “Blurred Lines” trio now has to pay Marvin Gaye’s family $7.3M for plagiarizing the crooner’s popular Got to Give It Up. Reps for Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke, and T.I. released a statement, claiming the ruling is not a good look for the future of art:
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. Pharrell created Blurred Lines from his heart, mind and soul and the song was 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.
The wrong decision here will stifle musicians and the record companies that finance them [in signifying] that you cannot honor a genre, a style or a groove.
