Got to give $7.4M up: Jury finds Pharrell and Thicke copied Marvin Gaye song
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A Los Angeles jury has determined that singers Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke lifted portions of Marvin Gaye's 1977 hit "Got to Give It Up" when writing their hit "Blurred Lines." The jury has awarded the late soul singer's family nearly $7.4 million in damages.
"Blurred Lines" topped the charts in 2013. At the time, there was much speculation about the similarities between Gaye's classic and the new song. Nonetheless, it was wildly successful.
According to court evidence, Thicke and Williams earned more than $5 million from the song's success. Rapper Clifford "T.I." Harris Jr., who raps on the song, made more than $700,000. Harris was cleared of any wrongdoing. Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
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