"Blurred Lines" lawyer: Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams will seek appeal
Unsatisfied with the verdict in favor of the Gaye family, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams' attorney in the "Blurred Lines" case will be seeking an appeal.
On Wednesday, Howard King stated that the court battle was far from over. "We are going to exercise every post trial remedy we have to make sure this verdict does not stand," he told Fox Business Network. "We look at it as being in the seventh inning of a game that could go into extra innings."
Earlier this week, a jury awarded the Gaye family $7.4 million in damages and compensation to be paid out by Thicke and Williams, the "Blurred Lines" songwriters who the court determined illegally infringed on the copyright of Marvin Gaye's 1977 hit song "Got to Give it Up."
"We owe it to song writers around the world to make sure this verdict doesn't stand," King said. "My clients know that they wrote the song 'Blurred Lines' from their hearts and souls and no other source."
The verdict in the case has led many to call out the decision. The New York Times said the "verdict is a victory for an outmoded law, but also an outmoded way of thinking about music." Meanwhile, The Washington Post flat out said it was "bad for pop music," potentially opening up the music industry to frivolous lawsuits.
Following the court's decision, the Gaye family said it has taken note of the similarities between Williams' 2014 hit "Happy" and Gaye's other hit, "Ain't That Peculiar."
"Pharrell has readily admitted that Marvin Gaye is one of his idols, but it's silk and rayon," King said in response. "If this is the way the law is going to go, then the creator of rayon better look behind him for lawsuits from the owners of silk, because, even though they feel the same they are structurally, completely different just like these songs."