Did Marvin Gaye’s Family Win Their Suit Against Robin Thicke?

By Greg B.

Robin Thicke had a lot of hit songs in his career, but none as big as the song Blurred Lines, featuring T.I and Pharrell. The song, which rode the airwaves, all summer long, was purported to have infringed on a hit by Marvin Gaye, called “Got to Give it Up.”

I will admit that after hearing both the songs, that they sound very similar, in concept and musically.

It appears that a judge in Los Angles had the same take, the judge granted Nona Marvisa Gaye and Frankie Christian Gaye’s dismissal of their lawsuit against EMI. It also states that they can no longer bring a suit against Sony/EMI for this matter. There is an undisclosed settlement, however both sides also have other pending suits against each other.

So, in other words, the situation is complicated, but it does appear that the Gaye family is making headway and that someone believes their claims.

This suit is a reminder that often artists of old, have their music poached and regurgitated without their knowledge. In this scenario, Gaye’s children and relatives were diligent in pursuing this matter and getting it litigated. There are so many cases of infringement of this caliber that go unreported but this particular incident was so blatant that it couldn’t be ignored.

There is no report on how much Thicke, Sony/EMI or otherwise had to pay because of the claim, but it clearly was enough to allow the Gaye’s to back off the case.

I guess the sad thing here, is that Robin Thicke couldn’t admit his wrong in the case; instead he stood by and didn’t own up to his mistake. I know this was a legal matter and he had to keep a tight lip, but acknowledging Marvin’s work would have been a classy move afterwards and likely made a difference in the eyes of the public, his fans, and the Gaye family.

YOU BE THE JUDGE: