The five-year “Blurred Lines” copyright infringement lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams is finally over, CNN reports.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt in California has ordered Thicke and Williams’ More Water From Nazareth Publishing to fork over $5 million to Marvin Gaye’s family.
In 2015, they were ordered to pay more than $7 million, but after filing an appeal it was reduced to $5.3 million.
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Both parties are required to pay Gaye’s estate for damages totaling $2.9 million. Thicke will have to pay more than $1.7 million while Williams and his publishing company are responsible for $357,631.
Pharrell, who produced the track, was accused of using Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give It Up” as the vibe for Thicke’s 2013 hit song “Blurred Lines.” The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts and has been certified diamond by the RIAA.
Additionally, the judge awarded Gaye’s family interest on the damages as well as 50 percent of royalties generated from “Blurred Lines” moving forward.
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[This article has been updated. The original version was published on March 22, 2018 and can be found below.]
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has chosen to uphold the original verdict of the “Blurred Lines” copyright infringement case, ruling Robin Thicke and Pharrell are guilty of plagiarizing Marvin Gaye’s 1977 “Got To Give It Up.” The two have been embroiled in a legal battle with Gaye’s estate since August 2013.
Thicke and Pharrell were originally found guilty of copyright infringement in 2015. Pharrell spot out against the verdict, saying it “handicaps any creator out there who is making something that might be inspired by something else” in a 2015 interview with the Financial Times.
The Gaye family is to be awarded $5.3 million in damages and receive 50 percent of royalties from the record. The Court of Appeals ruling has exonerated T.I., who is featured on the “Blurred Lines” and credited as a songwriter, declaring he’s not responsible for any of the damages.
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The decision is noteworthy as it changes the scope of what is considered copyright. Thicke and Pharrell were sued on the basis of copying the “style and feel” of Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” rather than explicitly replicating the notes or melody.
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