Blurred Lines copyright case: Pharrell Williams warns verdict could have chilling effect on creativity

In his first interview since losing the Blurred Lines copyright case, Pharrell Williams warned the ruling could have a chilling effect on creativity.

“You can’t own emotions,” the singer told the Financial Times.

“The verdict handicaps any creator out there who is making something that might be inspired by something else,” Parrell Williams said.

“This applies to fashion, music, design… anything. If we lose our freedom to be inspired we’re going to look up one day and the entertainment industry as we know it will be frozen in litigation. This is about protecting the intellectual rights of people who have ideas.”

A federal court in LA had ruled Pharrell Williams’ song Blurred Lines infringed the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s Got to Give It Up, and ordered Williams and fellow singer Robin Thicke to pay damages of $7.3 million to the Gaye estate.

On March 19, Marvin Gaye’s family filed an injunction to stop the copying, distributing and performing of Blurred Lines.