Sale And Performance Of 'Blurred Lines' Likely To Be Banned As Gaye's Family Files Injuction
After a jury ruled earlier this month that “Blurred Lines” by Pharell Williams and Robin Thicke was a rip-off of a 1977 Marvin Gaye track, the family of the Motown legend has asked the court to put a stop to further copying, distributing and performing of the 2013 monster hit.
Gaye’s children filed an injunction in a Federal Court in Los Angeles last Tuesday to block further sales of the song, after the court earlier ruled that it has been copied from the late singer’s “Got To Give Up.” Richard S. Busche, the Gaye family’s lawyer, explained that the injuction was necessary, as the past ruling, in which Williams and Thicke were ordered to pay over $7 million’s worth of damages, only included revenue from past sales of “Blurred Lines,” and it does not provide appropriate credit and shares from the future sales of the song, ABC News reported.
Gaye’s family also sought to include T.I., whose real name is Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., despite being ruled out by the jury as one of those who infringed on Gaye's copyright. Gaye's family has appealed that the court include the name of the rapper, who was one of the featured artists in “Blurred Lines” and received co-songwriter credits, along with record labels Universal Music, Interscope Records and Star Trak Entertainment, in the verdict.
The family further said that they was not seeking to kill the song but rather use the injunction as leverage to negotiate terms and other concessions for Gaye to share credit and revenue. In a statement released on Wednesday, Gaye's children emphasised that the infringement threatens every artist in this digital age. "It is our wish that our dad's legacy, and all great music, past, present, and future, be enjoyed and protected, with the knowledge that adhering to copyright standards assures our musical treasures will always be valued," they said in a statement, as quoted by USA Today.
According to some experts, the verdict could tarnish Williams and Thicke's reputation, both known to be reliable hit-makers and Grammy awardees. The two have not made comments on whether they will appeal against the injunction that has been filed, but they have continued to deny copying Gaye’s hit song, although Williams admitted that the late singer was a big part of his youth's soundtrack. “Everything that’s around you in a room was inspired by something or someone,” he said. “If you kill that, there’s no creativity.”
For your feedback/comments on the article, you may contact the writer at prewchatterly@gmail.com.