Robin Thicke Sues Over “Blurred Lines” Songwriting Controversy

Updated:

August 19, 2013 10:06 am

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Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and Clifford Harris, Jr., better known as T.I., filed a lawsuit in a California court Thursday to protect their hit “Blurred Lines.”

The suit was filed against Bridgeport Music, owners of the rights to some of Funkadelic’s songs, and the family of Marvin Gaye, who claim that “Blurred Lines” contains unlicensed elements of Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” and Funkadelic’s “Sexy Ways”.

According to the suit, the Gaye family claims that “Blurred Lines” has the same “sound” and “feel” as “Got To Give It Up.”

“The intent in producing “Blurred Lines” was to evoke an era. In reality, the Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work, and Bridgeport is claiming the same work,” the suit states.

The Gaye family and Bridgeport Music allegedly threatened the “Blurred Lines” hitmakers with possible lawsuits over copyright infringement.

Thicke, Williams, and Harris, Jr. are seeking a declaration that “Blurred Lines” does not infringe on Funkadelic’s “Sexy Ways” and Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up,” as well as a declaration that the Gaye family does not have sufficient interest in the rights to “Got To Give It Up” to pursue legal action.