Jury Finds Pharrell And Robin Thicke Guilty of “Blurred Lines” Plagiarism

March 10, 2015

UPDATE 3/11/15 11:37 a.m.: Gaye's family lawyer tells Rolling Stone that they'll be trying to halt sales of "Blurred Lines" following the ruling. "We'll be asking the court to enter an injunction prohibiting the further sale and distribution of 'Blurred Lines' unless and until we can reach an agreement with those guys on the other side about how future monies that are received will be shared," attorney Richard Busch said. "We'll be doing that in about a week or so."

UPDATE 03/10/15 8:40 p.m.: Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I. said in a statement, "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. Blurred Lines was created from the heart and minds of Pharrell, Robin and T.I. and 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 Associate Press reports that the ongoing trial between the Gaye Estate and Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke has ended in favor of Gaye, resulting in a $7.5 million fine for the two multiplatinum performers. Accusations that Williams and Thicke lifted significant elements of Marvin Gaye's 1977 hit "Got To Give It Up" have flown since last year, resulting in a candid deposition wherein Williams revealed that he had written the song despite it being publicly credited to Thicke. In a verdict read this afternoon in Los Angeles, the jury concluded that similarities between the two compositions were too significant to simply indicate "inspiration," as Thicke and Williams had tried to argue. For a more detailed look at the trail and its ramifications, head over to Billboard.

Jury Finds Pharrell And Robin Thicke Guilty of “Blurred Lines” Plagiarism