Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams' "Blurred Lines" was an instantaneous hit, though the spoils of victory were not long savored. Not only did Thicke find himself catching fire over the dubious lyrical content, but the song's similarities to Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" proved too notable to ignore. The Gaye family proceeded to hit Thicke and Williams with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, though they denied drawing any inspiration. Still, the judge originally ruled to side with the Gayes, though Thicke and Williams appealed; at the time, their lawyer claimed the ruling was setting a "dangerous precedent."
Now, it would appear that a conclusion has officially been reached. Unfortunately for the "Blurred Lines" camp, the judge held fast on their decision to side with Gaye. As a result, Thicke, Williams and P' publishing company More Water From Nazarethare obligated to pay the Gaye family $2.8 million in damages. On top of that, Thicke will be forking over an additional, $1.7 million, while Williams and More Water will have to pay an addition $357,630. Plus, the Gaye family will officially be securing 50% of all "Blurred Lines" royalties, moving forward.
In total, the payout adds up to $4.98 million; it was previously revealed that Thicke and Williams amassed over sixteen million from the single alone. It's an interesting conclusion to be sure, regardless of where you might stand vis a vis "sampling" and "interpolation." Do you think justice was served?
