Your first question might be, what is a Declaratory Relief? A Declaratory Relief is an inclination to agree to the judgment of a court that determines the rights of two or more parties and does not order anything to be done or award damages but who didn’t see this coming? The MONSTER hit Blurred Lines has started a string of complaints, legal ramifications from the three performers on Blurred Lines and possible litigation from Marvin Gaye’s children if they are not paid a monetary settlement.
Gaye’s family is threatening copyright infringement but not based on the fact that the song Blurred Lines and Got to Give it Up sound the same but because… this is VERY interesting, they are claiming Marvin Gaye owned the genre. Thicke, Pharrell and T.I. state there are only “elements” of Blurred Lines that resemble Got to Give it up and that it is not a copy of the song. The trio state they have the utmost respect for Marvin Gaye and Funkadelic’s legacy (Bridgeport Music – Funkadelic’s company is also threatening to sue) but that the songs are not the same (huh?) They are suing to maintain the song is their own creation.
The Gaye family is responding the song is a direct copy of Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up” to which the genre of music belonged to the late Marvin Gaye. Confused yet?
5 comments
I can’t believe the producers of Blurred Lines didn’t pay for the sample in the beginning! To say IT IS NOT Marvin’s is a straight up lie – who in the hell can’t hear that? Amazing the arrogance…it diminishes the respect formerly due the writers as a clever extrapolation – who’s zooming who?
Nobody owns a genre in ANY art, any more than a clothes designer. Certainly not Marvin Gaye. What, have the kids blown through the estate? I danced my way through college on “Got to Give It Up” I know, personally, that Robin Thicke’s song is not that song.
E. Joyce, what are you implying with your flimsy remark, “Certainly not Marvin Gaye.” The man has undeniably influenced the R&B genre as a whole, and all of its artists. In fact, influential is an understatement.
@E. Joyce
Simply put: you need your ears checked
Robin Thicke is just another version of Al Jolson without the Blackface. If he were black he wouldn’t have gotten past a major label receptionist.