In a landmark case, it has been ruled that Robin Thicke and Pharrell must pay the estate of Marvin Gaye $7.3 million in damages over copyright infringement.

The case has been going on for some time now and people in the music industry have been eagerly awaiting the outcome as it will no doubt set precedence for how future cases are handled in the future. The implications mean that artists will have to be extremely careful in the future in case they stray a little too close stylistically to another song.

A representative of Pharrell commented on the outcome saying: "While we respect the judicial process, we are extremely disappointed in the ruling made today, which sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity.

"Pharrell created 'Blurred Lines' from his heart, mind and soul and the song was not taken from anyone or anywhere else. We are reviewing the decision, considering our options and you will hear more from us soon about this matter."

The implication from these comments is that the story is by no means over and both Pharrell and Thicke will be, quite rightly, contesting the ruling.
As Pharrell’s representative suggest, the judge’s decision could, and most likely will be extremely damaging to the music industry. As a producer, Pharrell is well known for his derivative style; derivative being the best possible way to describe it. As a professional, Pharrell is clearly paying tribute to artists that have come before him and influenced himself and the industry. Far from being vain and self-contained as a lot of popular music is today, it’s refreshing to know that a modern artist can pay homage to their own idols in such a way.

This does not by anyone’s standards mean that an artist is being copied, merely that they are being given a nod to, and that can only cause the original artist to gain from savvy music fans wanting to listen to the origin of popular music.

Sadly, this doesn’t seem to have enough for the Gaye family, who actively went out of their way to cash in on the success of Blurred Lines for personal gain. It would be interesting to see if they would have been so willing to go ahead with proceedings if the song hadn’t been such a massive success.
In addition to the damages being awarded to the Gaye family, Blurred Lines could also be taken off sale until an agreement is met as to how future profits from the song will be shared between its creators and the family.

This is most certainly a very dangerous landmark in the history music and it wouldn’t be surprising if this culture of suing wherever possible continues. If this is the case, the music industry could be bought to its knees by a rise in greedy individuals.