See, without a doubt, the “Blurred Lines” song that came out in 2013 was a massive hit back then, like it was playing everywhere when it came out. But the thing is, now, in 2025, this lawsuit is being talked about once again. Want to know why? Well, as per the claims of Marvin Gaye, he says that this song sounds way too similar to a 1977 classic, “Got to Give It Up.” And this entire thing has not turned into this Blurred Lines Lawsuit, which quite literally changed the pop music industry.
How It All Started
In 2013, the Gaye family sued Thicke and Pharrell shortly after “Blurred Lines” became a super massive hit, claiming that the two acts had taken not only the groove and rhythm, but also the ‘vibe’ of “Got to Give It Up” without giving credit. From the get-go, they avoided making a copyright infringement reference by stating that the words and tune were not the same; however, the gist of the song was too similar to be differentiated by the feeling of the song.
In an attempt to outrun the problem, Thicke and Pharrell went ahead and sued, requesting the court to confirm their track was their own creation.
However, not long after, the atmosphere went from uncomfortable to downright weird. In several interviews, Robin Thicke not only recognized the brilliance of Marvin Gaye’s music but also confessed to being “too high” when the song was made, and that Pharrell was the one who worked most.
Pharrell, conversely, said that he was only motivated by Gaye’s voice, no matter that he didn’t wish to imitate it.
The Big Trial in 2015
The lawsuit was taken to a court in Los Angeles in 2015. Experts were called upon by both parties to analyze the tracks in detail. And? Well, the Gaye family’s experts stated that the beat, bass line, and the whole flow were very close to being the same. At the same time, Thicke and Pharrell’s team maintained that these musical elements were typical of funk and soul genres and, hence, they were not something that could be patented as something like a “style.”
The jury voted in favor of Marvin Gaye’s family after an exhaustive trial. The verdict stated that “Blurred Lines” and the mentioned song were not identical; Thicke and Pharrell’s track had too much of a similar vibe. What followed was the court’s decision to hand down a compensation $7.4 million initially, which was later lowered to $5.3 million.
Appeals and Final Outcome
Thicke and Pharrell did not cease their actions there. They made an appeal, expecting to reverse the verdict. It happened? Nevertheless, in 2018, the appeals court supported the first decision. Those who had to give $5 million were the two musicians, while the Gaye family received 50% of the proceeds from the song “Blurred Lines” indefinitely.
What Happened Later
It wasn’t the final chapter, though, like Marvin Gaye’s family made an attempt to reopen the case in 2019, alleging that Pharrell lied in court as a result of his statement in a press conversation that he had ‘reverse-engineered’ ‘Got to Give It Up.’ The tone was grave, but the judge’s decision in 2021 put an end to the drama, saying that there was no sufficient proof of lying and thus the case remained closed.
Eventually, the family of Marvin Gaye managed to retain both the settlement they would get and the royalties that would be theirs in the future. Pharrell and Thicke were not the winners in this situation; they had to accept the lesson that their song, which was a great success on the charts, was a very new one in music copyright, was going to always be associated with their names.
