On March 21, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth
Circuit upheld a jury verdict finding that Robin Thicke's
"Blurred Lines" infringed upon Marvin Gaye's
"Got to Give It Up." This landmark, controversial case
has shifted the paradigm of music and related entertainment, and we
believe, will lead to a rise in copyright infringement
litigation.
In June 2012, entertainers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams
along with Clifford Harris, Jr. (a/k/a "T.I.") wrote and
recorded "Blurred Lines," which became the best-selling
single in the world in 2013. Thicke, Williams, and Harris co-own
the musical composition copyright in "Blurred Lines."
Star Trak and Interscope Records co-own the sound recording of
"Blurred Lines," with Universal Music as the distributor.
Soon thereafter, the heirs of Marvin Gaye made an infringement
demand on Thicke and Williams after hearing "Blurred
Lines," finding it to be similar to Marvin Gaye's
"Got to Give It Up" song from 1977. In turn,
