Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. are attempting to protect the summer hit, which is said to have too many similarities to Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up' and Funkadelic's 'Sexy Ways'.
- Aug 17, 2013
AceShowbiz - Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. are taking legal action in order to protect "Blurred Lines", which they composed together. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the trio are battling back the claims which suggest that their summer hit has too many similarities to Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" and Funkadelic's "Sexy Ways".
The lawsuit was filed in California federal court on Thursday, August 15. Thicke, Williams and Clifford Harris Jr. a.k.a. T.I. preemptively sued the late soul legend Gaye's family and the owner of some Funkadelic's music Bridgeport Music.
"Plaintiffs, who have the utmost respect for and admiration of Marvin Gaye, Funkadelic and their musical legacies, reluctantly file this action in the face of multiple adverse claims from alleged successors in interest to those artists," an excerpt from the suit reads.
It continues, "Defendants continue to insist that plaintiffs' massively successful composition, 'Blurred Lines', copies 'their' compositions."
Gaye's family and Bridgeport Music have apparently been seeking a financial settlement while threatening legal action. According to the court papers, "There are no similarities between plaintiffs' composition and those the claimants allege they own, other than commonplace musical elements. Plaintiffs created a hit and did it without copying anyone else's composition."
Funkedelic frontman George Clinton supported Thicke by tweeting, "No sample of #Funkadelic's 'Sexy Ways' in @RobinThicke's 'Blurred Lines' - yet Armen Boladian thinks so? We support @RobinThicke @Pharrell!"
Meanwhile, both Gaye's family and Bridgeport Music haven't commented on the news.
