Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Got to Pay It Up

They men behind the Song of Summer 2013 have to pay it up.

After a contentious trial that lasted a good year, a judge has ruled that Robin Thicke and Pharrell (and T.I.?) have to pony up more than $7 million and send that jack to Marvin Gaye’s family after a jury of their peers decided that, yeah, Blurred Lines” is a bit of a rip-off of Gaye’s 1977 song “Got to Give It Up.

The Thickster, for his part, has stayed mum on the verdict (so far), but Pharrell has put out a statement that says in part that while the musical multi-hyphenate respects the judicial process, he feels the ruling, “sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity going forward.

OK. I don’t know the details of the trial, but now that the verdict’s come in, I guess the thing to say is so is lifting things from other people.

For the record, I didn’t really hear the similarities between the songs two years ago, and I don’t think I do now. Alas, the people have spoken.

Photo: PageSix.com.

Update: Robin Thicke and Pharrell are going to appeal this verdict. Something about rayon and silk.

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