March 10th is a day Robin Thicke might want to try to forget. Whilst many use their birthdays as a way of celebration (today marks Thicke’s 38th year on Earth), March 10th 2015 is probably one full of commiserations for both the singer and his Blurred Lines co-writer Pharrell Williams, after the two have been forced to pay Marvin Gaye’s estate over $7m in compensation.
The payment, which comes after almost two years of allegations from Gaye’s team (amid reports Blurred Lines ‘copied’ the hook of the singer’s 1970s track Got To Give It Up) follows the recent announcement that the huge chart-topper earned both Thicke and Williams more than $5m each in royalties.
Upon hearing the announcement in court moments ago, Marvin Gaye’s daughter Nona Gaye wept as the 8-person jury confirmed their decision (following a week of testimonies from both sides). The iconic singer left children Nona, alongside Marvin and Frankie, full copyrights to his back catalogue upon his death in 1984.
Stream both Blurred Lines and Got To Give It Up below – see if you can spot the similarities:
