Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Paige Mills provided her perspective on the controversial jury ruling that “Blurred Lines” songwriters Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams infringed against Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up” song that was decided in March 2015. Paige’s comments were part of a special report on entertainment law published by the Nashville Business Journal on September 4, 2015. According to Paige, “While it is presumptuous to second-guess a hardworking jury, I think the jury incorrectly found that ‘Blurred Lines’ infringed ‘Got to Give it Up’ rather than simply paying it homage. The decision will embolden plaintiffs with weak claims and increase their leverage in settlement discussions. I doubt it will affect what musicians do on a day-to-day basis, but it certainly increases the likelihood of infringement claims on successful songs and ups their settlement value.”
Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Paige Mills provided her perspective on the controversial jury ruling that “Blurred Lines” songwriters Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams infringed against Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up” song that was decided in March 2015. Paige’s comments were part of a special report on entertainment law published by the Nashville Business Journal on September 4, 2015. According to Paige, “While it is presumptuous to second-guess a hardworking jury, I think the jury incorrectly found that ‘Blurred Lines’ infringed ‘Got to Give it Up’ rather than simply paying it homage. The decision will embolden plaintiffs with weak claims and increase their leverage in settlement discussions. I doubt it will affect what musicians do on a day-to-day basis, but it certainly increases the likelihood of infringement claims on successful songs and ups their settlement value.”