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Lawyer for Singers: ‘Blurred Lines’ Copyright Fight Not Over

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In this Sunday, June 28, 2015 file photo, Robin Thicke performs during a tribute to Smokey Robinson at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. A federal judge in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, trimmed a copyright infringement verdict against Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their 2013 hit "Blurred Lines" from nearly $7.4 million to $5.3 million. The ruling also gives Marvin Gaye's family, which sued the singers over the song, an ongoing shared of royalties from "Blurred Lines."  (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

In this Sunday, June 28, 2015 file photo, Robin Thicke performs during a tribute to Smokey Robinson at the BET Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. A federal judge in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 14, 2015, trimmed a copyright infringement verdict against Thicke and Pharrell Williams over their 2013 hit “Blurred Lines” from nearly $7.4 million to $5.3 million. The ruling also gives Marvin Gaye’s family, which sued the singers over the song, an ongoing shared of royalties from “Blurred Lines.” (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

ANTHONY McCARTNEY, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A ruling upholding a copyright infringement verdict against Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke and rapper T.I. over their hit song “Blurred Lines” will be appealed, a lawyer for the entertainers said.

Attorney Howard King wrote in a statement late Tuesday that the musicians independently created “Blurred Lines,” which was 2013’s biggest hit song. The men had been sued by Marvin Gaye’s children over the song, claiming it copied their father’s 1977 hit, “Got to Give It Up.”

A jury agreed in March and awarded the family nearly $7.4 million, but U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt trimmed the verdict to $5.3 million on Tuesday. He also ruled that Gaye’s family should receive future royalties from “Blurred Lines.”

Jurors found that T.I., who received songwriting credit and a share of the royalties, did not commit copyright infringement, but Kronstadt ruled Tuesday that other elements of the jury’s verdict mean the rapper must be included in the judgment.

“Pharrell, Robin and T.I. independently created every note and lyric of ‘Blurred Lines,'” King wrote. “We look forward to ultimately obtaining appellate confirmation that no one can own a genre or a groove and that composers can be free to be inspired by the works of those creators that came before them.”

Williams is a 10-time Grammy Award winner whose songs that he’s either performed or produced have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. His hit “Happy” has helped make him a household name, as has his work as a judge on NBC’s singing competition show, “The Voice.”

Williams contended during the trial that he was only trying to mimic the “feel” of Gaye’s late 1970s music and insisted he did not use elements of his idol’s work.

“Mr. Thicke and Williams, and their legal team, among others, went on a public relations campaign after the jury’s verdict criticizing the verdict and saying the evidence did not support the finding of copyright infringement, and did not believe the decision on liability would therefore stand,” the Gaye family’s attorney, Richard Busch, wrote in a statement after Tuesday’s ruling. “The judge who actually heard all of the evidence disagreed. I am thrilled for the Gaye family, and the thoughtful members of the jury, who had to listen to all of that while remaining silent.”

Busch said he and his team were reviewing the ruling and would discuss options for how the reduction in the verdict would be handled.

___

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

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Love Life Organization Shows Love

As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day. It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

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Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.
Members of the 1975 NBA championship team, Charles Dudley (left) and Clifford Ray (right) embrace Love Life Foundation leader Donald Lacy for his antiviolence mission. Courtesy photo.

City of Oakland Celebrates 1975 NBA World Championship Team 

By Donald Lacy

Special to The Post

 As part of Love Life Week, the Love Life Foundation was honored to produce the 1974-75 World Champion Golden State Warrior Day.

It’s a shame that our first Bay Area World Championship team’s unique accolades had been lost in the pre social media era and the cultural revolution of the 1970s.

The 1975 NBA World Championship team were invited back to the City of Oakland last Friday, to be properly celebrated for their ground-breaking performance in 1975.

The heartwarming ceremony highlighted the recent passing of the legendary coach of that team, Al Attlles, and his former players Clifford Ray and Charles Dudley were on hand to represent the “Cardiac Kids” as they were called back then for their ability to make great comeback victories during their run for the title.

Warriors great Chris Mullin and former spiritual advisor Gary Reeves gave heartfelt testimonies of their experiences under Attles’ leadership and their relationship with the inspiration they received from the NBA 1975 World Champion Golden State Warriors.

The City of Oakland provided proclamations to all parties with speeches made by city leadership including Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Dr. Kimberly Mayfield and activity host Love Life non-profit founder and Executive Director Donald E. Lacy Jr..

There will be a celebration of life event Nov. 9 honoring Attles’ legacy at Alameda College.

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Oakland Post: Week of October 23 – 29, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 23 – 29, 2024

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