Blurred Lines

In early March, the lawsuit between Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and the estate of Marvin Gaye was settled.  While the jury decided that Marvin Gaye's copyright had been infringed, critics of the decisions are not so sure.  In addition, the decision could set a interesting and perhaps dangerous precedent.  As this Metro Times article notes:

As many observers have pointed out, the case could set a precedent that some regard as dangerous to artists (no musician — or any artist — creates art in a vacuum). One music critic wrote, "By this logic, the Bob Marley estate can sue pretty much every reggae artist of the past 30 years. The Bo Diddley estate can sue George Michael for 'Faith' and Bow Wow Wow for 'I Want Candy.' Phil Spector can sue The Raveonettes for their entire catalog."

Time will tell in how this decision impacts music and other areas. Time will also tell if this is the final decision in this case or not.

Related articles:

• Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke to pay $7.4m to Marvin Gaye's family over Blurred Lines
• 'Blurred Lines' copyright verdict creates bad law for musicians
• Real or copycat: The thorny issue of authenticity in design
• Marvin Gaye, Robin Thicke, and Why Nobody Cares About Stolen Jokes