Robin Thicke And Pharrell Lose $7.4 Million In 'Blurred Lines' Lawsuit

The lines are no longer blurred in Marvin Gaye's estate's suit against Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke for alleged copyright infringement.

On Tuesday, a jury decided Williams and Thicke copied Gaye's 1977 hit, "Got to Give it Up," when they wrote "Blurred Lines," 2013's most popular song.

Williams and Thicke will now have to pay Gaye's children $7.4 million. "Blurred Lines" is said to have earned over $16 million in total.

Thicke and Pharrell each made about $5 million. T.I. made around $700,000, and the record labels involved split the rest of the earnings.

Though Pharrell and Thicke repeatedly denied copying Gaye's song, after hearing a week of testimony, the jury decided the two tracks were just too similar for this to be mere coincidence.

Nona Gaye, Marvin Gaye's daughter, said,

Right now, I feel free. Free from... Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke's chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told.

However, Pharrell released a statement that included a grave warning for the future of the music industry.

His statement, released by his spokesperson, read,

While we respect the judicial process, we are extremely disappointed in the ruling made today, which sets a horrible precedent for music and creativity going forward. Pharrell created 'Blurred Lines' from his heart, mind and soul and the song was not taken from anyone or anywhere else. We are reviewing the decision, considering our options and you will hear more from us soon about this matter.

This decision may reverberate throughout the music industry for years to come, and it will almost certainly make artists think twice before emulating the sound of or paying homage to another musician.

Citations: Blurred Lines jury finds for Marvin Gaye (USA Today)