One could hardly turn on a radio in 2013 without hearing “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams. The song was the biggest hit of the year and was nominated for a Grammy. But according to the family of Marvin Gaye, a famous musician who died in 1984, “Blurred Lines” was too similar to Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give It Up.” A jury agreed, and on Tuesday Thicke and Williams were ordered to pay nearly $7.4 million to Gaye’s family. The decision was controversial within the music community. Artists say they borrow and take influence from other musicians all the time. Some fear that this decision will lead to more lawsuits.
Read more about the lawsuit against Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams here.
