Blurred Justice

[bshole]

I couldn't disagree more with this lawsuit. I have listened to both songs and to think that Gaye's dead relatives would pillage the work of Robin Thicke so grossly sickens me.


http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/10/blurred-lines-pharrell-robin-thicke-copied-marvin-gaye

 

[rudeguy]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2424127

Not politics or news IMHO

 

[dali71]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2424127

Not politics or news IMHO

I don't care for the OP or Robin Thicke, but this is definitely news, as the legal precedent could have a huge impact on the music industry going forward.

 

[Victorian Gray]

I couldn't disagree more with this lawsuit. I have listened to both songs and to think that Gaye's dead relatives would pillage the work of Robin Thicke so grossly sickens me.


http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/10/blurred-lines-pharrell-robin-thicke-copied-marvin-gaye

Just in case you are actually serious (hard to tell around this place sometimes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziz9HW2ZmmY

 

[Vic]

Just in case you are actually serious (hard to tell around this place sometimes)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziz9HW2ZmmY

That version has been intentionally mixed to emphasize the similarities between the two songs. And yes, they are very similar. It's obvious that Gaye's " Got to Give It Up" was a huge influence. As it has been for many other songs.
But if this is blatant copyright infringement, then the music industry is fucked.

 

[Matt1970]

I agree with the royalties as it is pretty clearly a rip-off, but I don't think they should be able to tell them to stop sales of the song. If it were my song I would want as much money as I could off of it.

 

[MongGrel]

Seems a bit of BS to me.

Does seem more like off topic.

*shrug*

 

[Vic]

I agree with the royalties as it is pretty clearly a rip-off, but I don't think they should be able to tell them to stop sales of the song. If it were my song I would want as much money as I could off of it.

All artists steal. Based on this decision, how much do you suppose that Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton should pay to the estates of Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters?

 

[Victorian Gray]

That version has been intentionally mixed to emphasize the similarities between the two songs. And yes, they are very similar. It's obvious that Gaye's " Got to Give It Up" was a huge influence. As it has been for many other songs.
But if this is blatant copyright infringement, then the music industry is fucked.

One of the issues in the court case relates to his changing stories. First he said he was inspired by the Gaye song. Then he claimed that he was drunk and stoned when he originally said he'd been inspired by Gaye and that he'd actually not had anything much to do with writing the song. I suspect that his own testimony lost the case for them.

 

[Vic]

One of the issues in the court case relates to his changing stories. First he said he was inspired by the Gaye song. Then he claimed that he was drunk and stoned when he originally said he'd been inspired by Gaye and that he'd actually not had anything much to do with writing the song. I suspect that his own testimony lost the case for them.

I agree that was a bit unusual. You'd think with this much money at stake that Thicke's lawyers could have kept him straight.

 

[Fenixgoon]

i don't see how it's an exact rip. aren't artists allowed to "sample"? plus, gaye's daughter crying after the verdict? please.

 

[soundforbjt]

They had a chance to settle this with the family, Pharrell and Thicke got pissed and sued the family, so the family sued them and won.

Google the Eagles hit Hotel California + Jethro Tull, the Eagles copied everything but the words. Ian Anderson of Tull said it was ok, he could've sued. The Eagles were opening for Tull on a tour and that's where they "got" the idea for the song. Similar thing happened with Spirit and Zepplin on Stairway to Heaven.

 

[who?]

This IS off topic http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2424127

 

[Matt1970]

All artists steal. Based on this decision, how much do you suppose that Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton should pay to the estates of Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters?

Quite a bit actually. And I have played guitar in bands for over 25 years, I know all about artists stealing from other artists.

 

[werepossum]

That version has been intentionally mixed to emphasize the similarities between the two songs. And yes, they are very similar. It's obvious that Gaye's " Got to Give It Up" was a huge influence. As it has been for many other songs.
But if this is blatant copyright infringement, then the music industry is fucked.

I tend to agree. There is very little that is completely original in music. If this litigation is the future of music, then the music industry is indeed fucked.

 

[bshole]

I tend to agree. There is very little that is completely original in music. If this litigation is the future of music, then the music industry is indeed fucked.

It is already crippled. The rock radio around here plays music mostly from the 60s-90s. Current rock music gets little airplay (mostly because it sucks). I don't understand what happened to the music industry but it has quit producing great music. This lawsuit will probably kill it.

I surely hope they litigate this one to the Supreme Court. It must be overturned for all of our sakes.

 

[unokitty]

I tend to agree. There is very little that is completely original in music. If this litigation is the future of music, then the music industry is indeed fucked.

This the same music industry that thought that their path to success involved empowering the RIAA to sue their potential customers?

While I have sympathy for the artists, I don't have any for the bloated industry executives that embraced litigation as a way of doing business...

Uno

 

[schmuckley]

You know what? Whoever said that's copying are slap wrong.
This is going to cost them in the end I bet.
404-Copying not found.

 

[Vic]

i don't see how it's an exact rip. aren't artists allowed to "sample"? plus, gaye's daughter crying after the verdict? please.

There wasn't even any sampling. The songs sound similar because they share the same 'vibe,' i.e. tempo, time signature, and arrangement. And they both have cowbell. But the key, melody, bass line, and lyrics are all different.

The biggest reason IMO why artists steal is because truly, genuinely original art does not sell. What people want (and buy) is a new twist on a familiar tune. And that is what artists have given them for generations. Even Marvin Gaye, extremely talented as he was.