Pharrell has spoken out for the first time since the 'Blurred Lines' verdict earlier this month.
The decision awarded Marvin Gaye's estate $7.4 million from Skateboard P and Robin Thicke, finding that 'Blurred Lines' plagiarized Gaye’s 1977 hit 'Got to Give It Up.'
"The verdict handicaps any creator out there who is making something that might be inspired by something else,” Pharrell told The Financial Times. "This applies to fashion, music, design… anything. If we lose our freedom to be inspired, we’re going to look up one day and the entertainment industry as we know it will be frozen in litigation. This is about protecting the intellectual rights of people who have ideas. Everything that’s around you in a room was inspired by something or someone. If you kill that, there’s no creativity."Pharrell's opinion has been echoed over the past week by plenty of experts and insiders who didn't just lose almost $4 million.
We're also skeptical of the verdict. The songs do sound similar, but so do a lot of songs which never triggered court battles.
We can't help but think Thicke's douchey behavior -- which included the sitcom scion trying to weasel his way out of a co-writing credit by telling the court he was too drunk and high to have contributed -- influenced the jury, and led to a verdict that's bad for the whole music industry.
Hopefully this will be corrected on appeal.
News
Watch Shaq Perv On Angel Reese / News
News
Kanye is Suddenly Looking a Lot Younger / News
News
Goons Lil Durk Sent To Kill Quando Rondo Didn't Follow His Directions & Implicated Him / News
News
Quando Rondo Speaks On Lil Durk After His Arrest For Ordering His Murder / News
News
Rowdy Rebel Addresses His Relationship With Bobby Shmurda / News
News
See The First Photo Of Big Meech Since His Prison Release / News