Robin Thicke and Pharrell Request New Trial in 'Blurred Lines' Case
If you thought the copyright battle over the 2013 smash "Blurred Lines" was over, think again. The song's main maestros, Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke, have requested a new trial with their attorneys asking for a do-over in the case.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, new motions for the case will be presented on Friday (May 8) in the battle that resulted in a $7.4 million jury verdict back in March. U.S. District Judge John Kronstadt, who is specifically assigned to the case, has a few options to consider when deciding what to do with the song, which a jury ruled to be an rip-off of Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up."
On one hand, the Gaye family can further reap the benefits for a second time around if Judge Kronstadt orders an injunction on the song, forcing the artists involved in its production to negotiate with the family on license fees and legal demands for using the Gaye hit.
On the other hand, the judge can rule in favor of Williams and Thicke, trimming the jury's $7.4 million verdict, or, better yet for the musicians' camps, ordering up a fresh trial for the case. This is the ultimate hope for Thicke's attorneys, who have been pleading with Judge Kronstadt for a do-over, claiming that errors were made in both the jury's instructions and the testimony from the musicologist. They even argued that not enough evidence was brought forward to prove that the two songs are considerably similar.
Williams's camp, furthermore, thinks that the jury was pressured into its hefty decision since the instructions given to them were seemingly "confusing."
Judge Kronstadt will carefully consider all of the presented motions at an oral hearing set to take place on June 29. For now, both sides will argue on the points scheduled to be made on Friday. It should be noted, however, that even if the judge goes against Williams's and Thicke's wishes and refuses a new trial, the case will still face an appeal process.
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(Photos: David Buchan/Getty Images)
