Robin Thicke And Pharrell Williams Owe $$$!

The mega producer Pharrell Williams (center) and pop singer Robin Thicke (left) got to break dollars to the estate of Marvin Gaye. T.I. (right) was a featured act in the hit song Blurred Lines.

The R&B/pop singer and mega producer are pissed that they owe up. The greedy family of Marvin Gaye managed to win over the U.S. federal court. They claimed that the mega-hit Blurred Lines sounds similar to Got to Give It Up, a song that was a hit when their father Marvin was alive.

Robin Thicke already facing legal drama with his ex-wife Paula Patton is now shelving cash for using stealing the legendary R&B singer's soul.

Nora Gaye is an entertainer and daughter of Marvin.

The impact could damage the reputation of Pharrell Williams. He is the producer of many hits including his own "Happy" which got nominated for an Oscar.

I am going to be honest. I am not happy about this. I don't hear no similarities to the songs. But to a federal jury and federal judge, the difference is clear: They jacked Marvin Gaye.

But Marvin's daughter Noah Gaye, a singer and actress in her own right is happy. She was one of the many family members who brought up the lawsuit to U.S. federal district.

The family won $8 million in royalties.

The AP reports that the Gaye family is satisfied with the decision. We don't know if Robin Thicke or Pharrell will appeal the decision.

"Right now, I feel free," Nona Gaye said after the verdict. "Free from ... Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke's chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told."


An attorney for Thicke and Williams has said a decision in favor of Gaye's heirs could have a chilling effect on musicians who try to emulate an era or another artist's sound.

The Gayes' lawyer branded Williams and Thicke liars who went beyond trying to emulate the sound of Gaye's late-1970s music and copied the R&B legend's hit "Got to Give It Up" outright.

"They fought this fight despite every odd being against them," Busch said of the Gaye family outside court.

Thicke told jurors he didn't write "Blurred Lines," which Williams testified he crafted in about an hour in mid-2012.

Williams told jurors that Gaye's music was part of the soundtrack of his youth. But the seven-time Grammy winner said he didn't use any of it to create "Blurred Lines."

Gaye's children -- Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III -- sued the singers in 2013 and were present when the verdict was read.

The verdict may face years of appeals.

"Blurred Lines" has sold more than 7.3 million copies in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures. It earned a Grammy Awards nomination and netted Williams and Thicke millions of dollars.

The case was a struggle between two of music's biggest names: Williams has sold more than 100 million records worldwide during his career as a singer-producer, and Gaye performed hits such as "Sexual Healing" and "How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You)" remain popular.

During closing arguments, Busch accused Thicke and Williams of lying about how the song was created. He told jurors they could award Gaye's children millions of dollars if they determined the copyright to "Got to Give It Up" was infringed.

Howard King, lead attorney for Williams and Thicke, told the panel that a verdict in favor of the Gaye family would have a chilling effect on musicians who were trying to recreate a genre or homage to another artist's sound.

King denied there were any substantial similarities between "Blurred Lines" and the sheet music Gaye submitted to obtain copyright protection.

Williams has become a household name -- known simply as Pharrell -- thanks to his hit song "Happy" and his work as a judge on the "The Voice." He wrote the majority of "Blurred Lines" and recorded it in one night with Thicke. A segment by rapper T.I. was added later.

Williams, 41, also signed a document stating he didn't use any other artists' work in the music and would be responsible if a successful copyright claim was raised.

Thicke testified he wasn't present when the song was written, despite receiving credit.

The trial focused on detailed analyses of chords and notes in both "Blurred Lines" and "Got to Give It Up."

Marvin Gaye was a legendary musician who touched the world. He was gunned down by his own father in 1984.

Jurors repeatedly heard the upbeat song "Blurred Lines" and saw snippets of its music video, but Gaye's music was represented during the trial in a less polished form. Jurors did not hear "Got to Give It Up" as Gaye recorded it, but rather a version created based solely on sheet music submitted to gain copyright protection.

That version lacked many of the elements -- including Gaye's voice -- that helped make the song a hit in 1977. Busch derisively called the version used in court a "Frankenstein-like monster" that didn't accurately represent Gaye's work.

An expert for the Gaye family said there were eight distinct elements from "Got to Give It Up" that were used in "Blurred Lines," but an expert for Williams and Thicke denied those similarities existed.

Gaye died in April 1984, leaving his children the copyrights to his music.

Pharrell responds to the verdict.

While we respect the judicial process, we are extremely disappointed in the ruling made today, which sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity going forward. Pharrell created 'Blurred Lines' from his heart, mind and soul and the song was not taken from anyone or anywhere else. We are reviewing the decision, considering our options and you will hear more from us soon about this matter.

Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. and Pharrell) (Interscope/NuAmerica/Star Trak Records)



Marvin Gaye - Got To Give It Up (Motown Records)