Blurred Lines verdict to be appealed by Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke

Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke will appeal the Blurred Lines verdict which ruled that they copied Marvin Gaye’s track Got To Give It Up.

On March 10, an LA jury decided that parts of Marvin Gaye’s 1977 hit Got To Give It Up were lifted for Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s 2013 hit Blurred Lines.

The family of late soul singer Marvin Gaye was awarded $7.3 million in damages.

Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke’s lawyer said they remained adamant Blurred Lines was original, created solely by them.

“We owe it to songwriters around the world to make sure this verdict doesn’t stand,” Howard King told Fox Business News.

“My clients know that they wrote the song Blurred Lines from their hearts and souls and no other source.

“We are going to exercise every post-trial remedy we have to make sure this verdict does not stand.”

Howard King added that expert evidence in the case, which may have swayed the jury, should have been inadmissible.

In particular, said Howard King, the testimony from a musicologist that compared Blurred Lines with Got To Give It Up was based on elements of Marvin Gaye’s song that were not on the original sheet music.

At the time of its copyright, only the written music could be registered as protected, not sound recordings.

“Clearly the jury relied on what that expert said in reaching their conclusion,” said Howard King.

Marvin Gaye died in April 1984, leaving his children the copyright to his music. His children – Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III – sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams in 2013.