Musicians Pharell Williams and Robin Thicke will appeal the order that they have to pay USD 7.4 million to artist Marvin Gaye’s family for infringing copyright in making “Blurred Lines.”
“We owe it to song writers around the world to make sure this verdict doesn’t stand,” said the duo’s attorney Howard King.
“My clients know that they wrote the song ‘Blurred Lines’ from their hearts and souls and no other source… We are going to exercise every post trial remedy we have to make sure this verdict does not stand. We look at it as being in the seventh inning of a game that could go into extra innings,” he said.
Gaye’s family sued Williams and Thicke as well as rapper T I for infringing the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give It Up” initially seeking USD 25 million.
The verdict was reached after eight days of trial testimony that revealed the profit made by “Blurred Lines” and led to Thicke admitting to drug abuse among other revelations.
With questions now being asked about Williams’ hit song “Happy” and its supposed similarities to Gaye’s 1965 hit “Aint That Peculiar,” King made an impassioned defense of artistic individuality.
“Pharrell has readily admitted that Marvin Gaye is one of his idols, but it’s silk and rayon,” King said. “If this is the way the law is going to go, then the creator of rayon better look behind him for lawsuits from the owners of silk, because, even though they feel the same they are structurally, completely different just like these songs,” the attorney said. (PTI)
