Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" song is arguably the biggest song of 2013. However, the single has faced its share of controversy over its music video and now allegations that it copied two other songs. Attorneys for Thicke, T.I. and Pharrell Williams have filed a lawsuit on Thursday in Los Angeles asking a judge to determine that "Blurred Lines" does not copy songs from Marvin Gaye and George Clinton. The New York Daily News reports that in the lawsuit it claims that the owners of the copyright of Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" and Clinton's "Sexy Ways" have warned Thicke that "Blurred Lines" uses elements from both those songs.
"The basis of the Gaye defendants' claims is that 'Blurred Lines' and 'Got to Give It Up' 'feel' or 'sound' the same," the lawsuit states (via Daily News). "Being reminiscent of a 'sound' is not copyright infringement. The intent in producing 'Blurred Lines' was to evoke an era." The lawsuit also states, "Plaintiffs created a hit and did it without copying anyone else's composition."
The lawsuit is a bit strange in that it's a preemptive action on the part of Thicke, Williams, and T.I. The artists have not yet been sued for copyright infringement, but apparently they have been threatened with a lawsuit. This is why they are looking for a judge to say their song did not infringe on any copyrights.
For anyone who listens to the songs, you can definitely hear some similar elements in "Blurred Lines," especially with "Got to Give It Up." However, it doesn't seem as though Thicke will be having any problems with Clinton. The legendary singer tweeted as much recently. "No sample of #Funkadelic's 'Sexy Ways' in @RobinThicke's 'Blurred Lines' - yet Armen Boladian thinks so? We support @RobinThicke @Pharrell!"
