Category: Grammy® Award

by Shannonn Kelly
07:32AM, EST, January 17, 2014

From a case that started back in the summer of 2013, with an interesting twist you’ll see lower in my blog; the surviving children of one of the hottest (take that any way you want) R&B crooners, Marvin Gaye have won their case over copyright infringement.

The Infringement: Robin Thicke‘s Grammy nominated song, “Blurred Lines” sounds an awful lot like their father’s song, “Got To Give It Up”. Click on the video below and judge for yourself.

Their case was against pop singer Robin Thicke, the 36 year-old Canadian-American son of Alan Thicke who played the Dad on “Growing Pains” (1985-1992).

The judge ruled in the favor of Marvin Gaye’s children, Frankie, named after his uncle Frances Gay and Nona Gaye on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. The undisclosed amount of the settlement between the Gayes’ children and Sony have an agreement where these claims can never be brought up again. The settlement would’ve had to have been pretty big, as “Blurred Lines” sold 6.6 digital copies and spent 12 weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Originally the Gaye family lawsuit against Thicke and Sony was put into action to prevent Thicke from using any samples from their father’s songs, as they also claimed Thicke poached part of Marvin Gaye’s #1 R&B hit “After The Dance” from his album “I Want You” (1976).

Here’s the Twist:

Originally Thicke, and co-creators T.I. (aka Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr.), and Pharrell Williams were the ones to bring a lawsuit against the children of Marvin Gaye!

Thicke, T.I., and Pharrell all asked a federal judge in August to rule that “Blurred Lines”, which was nominated for Record of the Year at last year’s Grammys, was not a copy of Marvin Gaye’s hit.

Article by Lewis Corner, “‘Blurred Lines’ Plagiarism Claim”
Published: Friday, Aug 16 2013, 6:53am EDT

Robin Thicke has filed a lawsuit against Marvin Gaye and Funkadelic amidst claims of plagiarism.

The singer’s global summer anthem has been likened to Gaye’s classic track ‘Got to Give It Up’, but Thicke has taken action to ensure the late star’s family can’t claim plagiarism.

The suit states that Gaye’s family is alleging ‘Blurred Lines’ “sounds” the same as ‘Got to Give It Up’, and that the “Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work”.

What’s more, it acknowledges a claimed similarity between Funkadelic’s ‘Sexy Ways’ and Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’, but states “there are no similarities between plaintiffs’ composition and those the claimants allege they own, other than commonplace musical elements”.

According to the lawsuit, of which The Hollywood Reporter has obtained a copy, the defendants state: “Plaintiffs, who have the utmost respect for and admiration of Marvin Gaye, Funkadelic and their musical legacies, reluctantly file this action in the face of multiple adverse claims from alleged successors in interest to those artists.

“Defendants continue to insist that plaintiffs’ massively successful composition, ‘Blurred Lines,’ copies ‘their’ compositions.”

Gaye’s family and Bridgeport are thought to be threatening litigation if the plaintiffs do not pay up a settlement.