Following news that a judge ruled in favor of the estate of Marvin Gaye and ordered Pharrell Williams and crooner Robin Thicke to pay the late singer’s family $7.3 million for copyright infringement, Williams warned of the repercussions the ruling could have on creators in fashion, music, design, and other industries.
While speaking with The Financial Times, he stated that the verdict will have an effect on those who create based on inspiration and added that one day, the entertainment industry could “be frozen in litigation.”
“The verdict handicaps any creator out there who is making something that might be inspired by something else,” Pharrell Williams said. “This applies to fashion, music, design…anything. If we lose our freedom to be inspired we’re going to look up one day and the entertainment industry as we know it will be frozen in litigation. This is about protecting the intellectual rights of people who have ideas.”
The “Blurred Lines” producer continued to stand behind his belief that there was no infringement with the song.
“There was no infringement,” he said. “You can’t own feelings and you can’t own emotions…[in music] there are only the notations and the progression. Those were different…Everything that’s around you in a room was inspired by something or someone. If you kill that, there’s no creativity.”
With Williams’ comments on the verdict affecting creators in music and other entertainment fields, The Financial Times also spoke with film producer Harvey Weinstein to hear his thoughts on the ruling. The producer also expressed concern over the outcome of the “Blurred Lines” case.
“I’m very concerned about the notion that feeling or having a piece of art that feels like something else can be infringement,” Weinstein said. “Everyone quotes things, even subconsciously, but this can be a disruptive decision. What film-maker couldn’t sue another film-maker for making a movie that feels like another one? It’s deeply troubling.”
For additional Pharrell coverage, watch the following DX Daily:
you stole music. get over it. you call yourselves musicians but you can create music on your own you look at one rap music and you will see about 10 samplings.
dr dre is called genius but he was not create a single beat on his own
sad
The bottom line is if the courts open up Pandora’s box which they did then they have to go back to many, many songs by many producers and bands over the years. See I am a musician and a real lover of music (all genres) and I hear stuff in records all the time that estates can sue for if you want to get technical! Pharrell is right this will handicap the music game. This is not a sample it is a re-interpolation bottom line, point fucking blank period!! There are only so many chords and notes in music…Please educate yourself people before making blank statements about sampling!!!!!!
By forcing them to clear samples?
In doing so will ensure the artist/owner of the song’s rights actually wants it to be sampled?
My understanding is that clearing samples usually doesn’t cost 7 mil. Pharrell needs to take this L and move on.
pharrell = thief
Where have these thieves been? This isn’t the first time this kind of a case has been fought in court so why are they acting like this is some new verdict. If I watched the Matrix and then made the exact same movie but changed all the characters to Japanese and called it The Big Computer Program, I stole the damn movie idea. Same with music.
Not really….the whole damn song was lifted. You should have got that sample clearance, homie. That’s simple shit.
I don’t believe Blurred Lines was an actual sample of the Marvin classic, but the arrangement and tempo have clear cut similarities. They simply shoulda sampled the actual track for a small $500k vs that $7 Mill for redoing the beat.
This is so True if it was’nt for inspiration by others we would still be caveman! ITS LIKE SUEING SOMEBODY FOR USING THE WORD YES OR NO. Who really invented the word yes, its my thoughts don’t use that word!! bullshit!
It will actually force him to be original. He has the talent to come up with original music so this should just be a lesson. Stop stealing other peoples music and style come up with your own. That goes for everyone else who considers themselves artists.