Marvin Gaye’s estate won a court ruling against Blurred Lines

Evidence

Then came the legal battles. Marvin Gaye’s estate accused the song of copying “a constellation of distinctive and significant compositional elements” from “Got to Give It Up.” Pharrell, Thicke, and guest rapper T.I. denied wrongdoing, filing a preemptive lawsuit to protect their right to draw upon past influences. But the Gaye family countersued, and the case went to trial. The jury unanimously ruled against Thicke and Pharrell. Going forward, 50 percent of the song’s royalties would go to Gaye’s family. — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 378