It appears as though Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams are not quite ready to give up the fight.
U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt recently rejected a request by the duo to have the case retried. Thicke and Williams were pushing for a new trial after the first trial ended in a ruling that the song they created, “Blurred Lines,” had too many similarities to Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got to Give It Up,” of which both openly admit to being a fan of.
It was Thicke and WIlliams’ position that while they acknowledge their song held a similar groove to Gaye’s, they insist that they did not recreate or steal any elements of it. Nonetheless, in a landmark ruling that will be sure to have ramifications for other artists in the near future, a judge ruled in favor of Marvin Gaye’s estate to the tune of $7.4 million. The judge recently reduced the award to $5.3 million.
According to Billboard, the judge also ruled that Interscope Records, Star Trek Entertainment, and Universal Music Group will all be held liable in the matter for distributing “Blurred Lines” worldwide. Rapper T.I, who contributed a cameo verse to the song, is also being held liable as well.
Additionally, Judge Kronstadt awarded the Gaye estate 50 percent of all publishing and songwriter royalties that the song may earn in the future.
