Here's a lawsuit just about everyone saw coming: Marvin Gaye's family have sued pop singer Robin Thicke over the alleged similarity between Thicke's hit "Blurred Lines" and Gaye's classic tune "Got to Give It Up."
Why was this a lawsuit waiting to happen? Well, back in August, Thicke preemptively sued Gaye's estate to establish ownership of "Blurred Lines" following some apparent legal threats. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the documents were filed today (October 30) by Nona Gaye and Frankie Christian Gaye.
The suit points to interviews in which Thicke cited "Got to Give It Up" as one of his favourites songs. In a rather damning quote given to GQ back in the spring, Thicke said, "Pharrell and I were in the studio and I told him that one of my favourite songs of all time was Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up.' I was like, 'Damn, we should make something like that, something with that groove.' Then he started playing a little something and we literally wrote the song in about a half hour and recorded it."
Thicke later told TMZ that he wasn't thinking of Gaye when he wrote the song.
Not only does the suit target "Blurred Lines," it claims that Thicke's tune "Love After War" is a rip-off of Gaye's "After the Dance." Additionally, it suggests that EMI — which has deals with both Thicke and Gaye — has breached its contract by not protecting Gaye's works. The suit says that the label should lose all profits from "Blurred Lines" and forfeit its right to administer Gaye's catalogue.
Hear the songs in question below.
Why was this a lawsuit waiting to happen? Well, back in August, Thicke preemptively sued Gaye's estate to establish ownership of "Blurred Lines" following some apparent legal threats. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the documents were filed today (October 30) by Nona Gaye and Frankie Christian Gaye.
The suit points to interviews in which Thicke cited "Got to Give It Up" as one of his favourites songs. In a rather damning quote given to GQ back in the spring, Thicke said, "Pharrell and I were in the studio and I told him that one of my favourite songs of all time was Marvin Gaye's 'Got to Give It Up.' I was like, 'Damn, we should make something like that, something with that groove.' Then he started playing a little something and we literally wrote the song in about a half hour and recorded it."
Thicke later told TMZ that he wasn't thinking of Gaye when he wrote the song.
Not only does the suit target "Blurred Lines," it claims that Thicke's tune "Love After War" is a rip-off of Gaye's "After the Dance." Additionally, it suggests that EMI — which has deals with both Thicke and Gaye — has breached its contract by not protecting Gaye's works. The suit says that the label should lose all profits from "Blurred Lines" and forfeit its right to administer Gaye's catalogue.
Hear the songs in question below.