Earlier this year, Robin Thicke, T.I., and Pharrell Williams preemptively countersued Marvin Gaye’s estate, after the Gaye family claimed the trio had ripped off Gaye’s “Got To Give It Up” in their hit “Blurred Lines.” Now, four months later, the Gaye family is returning the favor by filing a civil suit against the “Blurred” trio. And the Gaye family is claiming Thicke actually stole two songs from Gaye: the aforementioned “Got To Give It Up,” and “After The Dance,” which the family says Thick borrowed liberally from for his song, “Love After War.” The Gaye family also contends that Thicke has a “Marvin Gaye fixation” that’s tainted a number of his other tunes.
Gaye’s family is also suing EMI April, the publisher that works with both the Gaye estate and Thicke. The family claims EMI has breached its fiduciary duty by failing to protect Gaye’s songs and allegedly attempting to keep it from suing Thicke. For its sins, the suit argues, EMI should have to forfeit all profits from “Blurred Lines,” as well as any right to administer Gaye’s catalog.
While Thicke had admitted before these lawsuits that “Blurred Lines” was inspired by “Got To Give It Up,” he’s since changed his tune, telling TMZ there’s absolutely no resemblance. Here are both songs; judge for yourself.