By — Margaret Myers Margaret Myers Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/jury-awards-family-marvin-gaye-7-3m-2013-hit-blurred-lines Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Jury awards family of Marvin Gaye $7.3M for 2013 hit ‘Blurred Lines’ Nation Mar 10, 2015 6:29 PM EDT Marvin Gaye’s kids thought Robin Thicke’s 2013 hit “Blurred Lines” copied their dad’s 1977 disco classic “Got to Give It Up,” and today a jury agreed with them, to the tune of $7.3 million, according to the Associated Press. Jurors in a Federal courthouse in Los Angeles found against co-writers Thicke and Pharrell Williams, but not the record company or rapper T.I., who is featured in the song. Gaye’s children — Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye II — sued Thicke and Williams, who also produced the song, in 2013 saying “Blurred Lines” shared too many similarities to be original. In testimony, Williams, an 11-time Grammy Award winner, said that Gaye’s music “was part of the soundtrack of his youth,” the AP reported. Richard Busch, an attorney for the Gaye children noted several elements, including the bass and keyboard line, that mimic the Motown legend’s hit. A video on YouTube sets the two songs side-by-side for comparison: According to the Los Angeles Times, jurors were shown that “Blurred Lines” garnered $5.6 million for Thicke, $5.2 million for Williams and another $5 million to $6 million for the record company, as well as an additional $8 million in publishing revenue. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Margaret Myers Margaret Myers Margaret Myers is the former Digital News Editor for PBS NewsHour. She is a former editor for ESPN.com. She also led the features department at the Amarillo Globe-News in west Texas. @margaretvm
Marvin Gaye’s kids thought Robin Thicke’s 2013 hit “Blurred Lines” copied their dad’s 1977 disco classic “Got to Give It Up,” and today a jury agreed with them, to the tune of $7.3 million, according to the Associated Press. Jurors in a Federal courthouse in Los Angeles found against co-writers Thicke and Pharrell Williams, but not the record company or rapper T.I., who is featured in the song. Gaye’s children — Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye II — sued Thicke and Williams, who also produced the song, in 2013 saying “Blurred Lines” shared too many similarities to be original. In testimony, Williams, an 11-time Grammy Award winner, said that Gaye’s music “was part of the soundtrack of his youth,” the AP reported. Richard Busch, an attorney for the Gaye children noted several elements, including the bass and keyboard line, that mimic the Motown legend’s hit. A video on YouTube sets the two songs side-by-side for comparison: According to the Los Angeles Times, jurors were shown that “Blurred Lines” garnered $5.6 million for Thicke, $5.2 million for Williams and another $5 million to $6 million for the record company, as well as an additional $8 million in publishing revenue. We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now