Marvin Gaye family try to stop sales of 'Blurred Lines' after court victory over Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams

The ruling would also prevent the song from being performed or distributed

Daisy Wyatt
Thursday 19 March 2015 15:54 GMT
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Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams in the video for 'Blurred Lines'
Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams in the video for 'Blurred Lines'

Marvin Gaye’s family want to block future sales of “Blurred Lines” after winning a $7.3 million court case against Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke.

Gaye’s children have filed an injunction to prevent the copying, distribution and performance of the 2013 hit single after a court ruled that “Blurred Lines” infringed Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.”

The injunction, which was filed in court on Tuesday, could allow Gaye's family to negotiate for royalties and other concessions such as song writing credits.

Pharrell and Thicke were ordered to pay Gaye’s three children $7.3 million (£4.8 million) after a court ruled last week that “Blurred Lines” infringed the copyright of Gaye’s 1997 song “Got to Give It Up”.

Gaye’s family have now called for the verdict to be amended to include rapper TI, who contributed a verse to “Blurred Lines”, as well as record labels Universal Music, Interscope Records and Star Trek Entertainment.

“With the digital age upon us, the threat of greater infringement looms for every artist,'' the family said in a statement.

"It is our wish that our dad's legacy, and all great music, past, present, and future, be enjoyed and protected, with the knowledge that adhering to copyright standards assures our musical treasures will always be valued."

Monster hit “Blurred Lines” earned $16 million (£11 million) in profits, making $5 million (£3 million) each for Thicke and Williams.

The court case has put the single into the spotlight again after it was criticised for condoning the abuse of women at the time of its release.

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Williams and Thicke plan to appeal the verdict that they copied "Got to Give It Up".

In a statement following the trial, the singers’ lawyer said “there was no properly admissible evidence upon which the jury could have found copying”.

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