The family of the late Marvin Gaye is not about to “give it up” on their legal case against singer Robin Thicke. Not when the R&B crooner’s disputed track made a whooping $16,675,690!
Those big bucks were revealed in court this week as Gaye’s family continued their case against Thicke over his smash hit “Blurred Lines.” The track, featuring Pharrell Williams and rapper T.I. has been accused by the estate of sounding too similar to Gaye’s hit “Got to Give It Up.”
Reports The Wrap:
Accountant Gary Cohen, who specializes in music royalty matters, testified briefly saying that if the court determined that the Gayes owned a 50-percent stake in “Blurred Lines,” they would be entitled to both “mechanical royalties,” which are paid to a publisher for record sales, and to “performance rights,” money earned when a song is performed live.
Both sides’ attorneys told the court that they had arrived at a stipulation, which was read to the jury by Judge John Kronstadt and said that the song “Blurred Lines” earned $16,675,690 so far, with Thicke and Williams both earning over $5 million each, while T.I. earned over $700,000 and Interscope Records, Universal Music Group and Star Trak (Pharrell Williams‘ label) split the remainder.
In today’s world of illegal music downloads and dwindling returns for performers that’s a lot of money.
The Gaye family also wants to take a bite out of Thicke’s $12 million in tour earnings. And, let’s face it, they kind of have a good argument for some tour funds considering the ubiquitous “Blurred Lines” really did take Thicke’s once middling-R&B career to the lucrative Miley Cyrus-humping mainstream.
Learn more about the case HERE.
