Marvin Gaye’s Family Settles With Sony/ATV Over “Blurred Lines” Controversy

Sam Lansky | January 14, 2014 9:28 am

Well! Here’s a complicated legal kerfuffle that sounds like a storyline I would not be able to follow on The Good Wife: The publishing company Sony/ATV has settled with Marvin Gaye‘s family over a lawsuit stemming from claims that Robin Thicke‘s “Blurred Lines” ripped off one of Gaye’s compositions. (The lawsuit isn’t over, but at least one piece of it is.)

In short: Thicke filed for declaratory relief from allegations from Gaye’s family that “Blurred Lines” was too similar to Marvin Gaye’s “Give It To Me”; in response, Gaye’s family brought counterclaims against Thicke as well as Sony/ATV, who were supposed to protect the Gaye catalog from, y’know, people stealing old songs and turning them into new ones. Since Sony/ATV also administered rights on “Blurred Lines,” Gaye’s family claimed that they couldn’t be impartial (because they had a stake in the success of “Blurred Lines,” which was becoming a mega-hit).

Anyway, it’s been settled now with Gaye’s family and Sony/ATV reaching some kind of agreement in which the publisher won’t be forced to defend their impartiality in court as things move forward.

Basically, everything is resolved and also nothing is resolved. You’re welcome.

[via The Hollywood Reporter]

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