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The Guardian
A jury in the US rules that the writers
of Blurred Lines – one of the best selling singles of all time – copied a
Marvin Gaye track from 1977.
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The "feeling" of an
entire decade cannot be copyrighted, and there are only a finite number of
possible melodies and beats. This ruling is a good example of how current
intellectual property law, contrary to its intended effect, stifles rather than
encourages content creation.
The $7.3 million payout is also
manifestly excessive, considering that Thicke could have just totally copied
Gaye's song as a cover version for a mechanical licensing fee of (assuming 9.1
cents for 14.8 million units) around $1.3 million in royalties.
"Noxiae" poena par esto.
Another vote of no confidence in
the US tort system.
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