Robin Thicke Is Suing Marvin Gaye’s Family

There are a lot of ways to describe Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”: sleazy, sexy, song of the summery. But one way I’d never think to use is, total rip-off of Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” Gaye’s family disagrees.

A lawsuit was filed Thursday in California federal court by [Robin Thicke, Pharrell, and Clifford Harris Jr.] against Marvin Gaye’s family and Bridgeport Music, which owns some of Funkadelic’s compositions. At issue are complaints about similarities between “Blurred Lines” and at least two songs.

According to the suit, a copy of which was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, “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. Defendants continue to insist that plaintiffs’ massively successful composition, ‘Blurred Lines,’ copies ‘their’ compositions.”

The suit claims the Gaye family [alleges] “Blurred Lines” and Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” “feel” or “sound” the same, and that the “Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work.” There’s [also] said to be claimed similarity between [“Blurred”] and Funakedlic’s “Sexy Ways.” (Via)

I have an idea: any lawsuit involving song similarities should be presided over by the Funky Judge Questlove, who knows every single piece of music ever written in the history of ever. His allegiances may be torn.

“Blurred Lines”

“Got to Give It Up”

“Sexy Ways”

(via Getty Image) (Via)

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