Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' Unrated Video's Success Questioned as Lawsuit Against Gaye Family Persists

The battle rages on. Gaye vs. Thicke, the ultimate copyright infringement showdown of the century. There's no clear end in sight, despite Robin Thicke's efforts. "Blurred Lines," although catapulting the R&B singer to a new level of success, has proven to be more of a curse than a blessing. The controversy surrounding his decision to feature nude prancing models in the music video set the tone for the song's nuanced popularity. Eventually, the dust settled and YouTube reinstated the video, however, his lawsuit with Marvin Gaye's family may not come to a hasty and favorable conclusion.

In a recent attempt to coddle the Gaye family, Thicke and co. offered a six figure settlement in order to preempt the copyright infringement, reports Billboard, a sum that the family deemed unworthy. The battle rages on.

The offer came after Frankie Christian Gaye, Marvin Gaye III and Nona Marvisa Gaye accused Thicke of plagiarizing  Marvin's "Got to Give It Up" when writing "Blurred Lines." On August 15, Thicke, along with co-writers Pharrell Williams and Clifford Harris Jr., filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles that counters the Gaye's claims.

"We're not happy with the way that [Thicke] went about doing business," said Gaye III. "Let alone suing us for something where he clearly got his inspiration from at the least."

Thicke's suit, in brief summary, states that the Gay family is alleging that "Blurred Lines" and Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" "feel" and "sound" the same, and that "Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work." 

"But there are no similarities between plaintiffs' composition and those the claimants allege they own, other than commonplace musical elements," it argues. "Plaintiffs created a hit and did it without copying anyone else's composition."

That's interesting, because during in interview with GQ in May, Thicke dubbed Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" as one of his favorite songs of all time. "I was like, 'Damn, we should make something like that, something with that groove,'" he said. "Then [Williams] started playing a little something and we literally wrote the song in about a half hour and recorded it."

The "Blurred Lines" infamy will continue to run flush with its success. It may take some time for both parties to reach an agreement, as it could potentially alter our perception of intellectual property in music. A conclusion will be made, but a clear decision remains out of view. The battle rages on.