Williams v. Gaye - Stanford Copyright and Fair Use Center

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• WILLIAMS V. GAYE: “BLURRED L” APPEAL HEARG CENTERS ON ADMISSIBILY OF EVINCE ABOUT ORIGAL SOUND RERDG

WILLIAMS V. GAYE: “BLURRED L” APPEAL HEARG CENTERS ON ADMISSIBILY OF EVINCE ABOUT ORIGAL SOUND RERDG

’s song “Blurred L, ” the world’s btsellg sgle 2013, ged Frankie Christian Gaye, Nona Marvisa Gaye, and Marv Gaye III’s pyright Marv Gaye’s 1977 h song “Got To Give It Up. The panel held that “Got To Give It Up” was entled to broad pyright protectn bee mil posns were not nfed to a narrow range of exprsn; the panel accepted, whout cidg, the mers of the district urt’s lg that the spe of fendants’ pyright was limed, unr the Copyright Act of 1909, to the sheet mic posed wh the Copyright Office, and did not extend to sound rerdgs; the district urt’s orr nyg summary judgment was not reviewable after a full trial on the mers; the district urt did not err nyg a new trial; the district urt did not abe s discretn admtg portns of expert ttimony; the verdict was not agast the clear weight of the evince; the awards of actual damag and profs and the district urt’s nng royalty were proper; the district urt erred overturng the jury’s general verdict favor of Harris and the Interspe Parti; the district urt did not abe s discretn nyg the Gay’ motn for attorney’s fe; and the district urt did not abe s discretn apportng sts among the parti.

The nsolidated appeals stemmed om a jury's fdg that Pharrell Williams, Rob Thicke, and Clifford Harris, Jr.'s song "Blurred L," the world's btsellg sgle 2013, ged Frankie Christian Gaye, Nona Marvisa Gaye, and Marv Gaye III's pyright Marv Gaye's 1977 h song "Got To Give It Up." The Nth Circu affirmed part and reversed part the district urt's judgment. The panel held that "Got To Give It Up" was entled to broad pyright protectn bee mil posns were not nfed to a narrow range of exprsn; the panel accepted, whout cidg, the mers of the district urt's lg that the spe of fendants' pyright was limed, unr the Copyright Act of 1909, to the sheet mic posed wh the Copyright Office, and did not extend to sound rerdgs; the district urt's orr nyg summary judgment was not reviewable after a full trial on the mers; the district urt did not err nyg a new trial; the district urt did not abe s discretn admtg portns of expert ttimony; the verdict was not agast the clear weight of the evince; the awards of actual damag and profs and the district urt's nng royalty were proper; the district urt erred overturng the jury's general verdict favor of Harris and the Interspe Parti; the district urt did not abe s discretn nyg the Gay' motn for attorney's fe; and the district urt did not abe s discretn apportng sts among the parti.

The panel affirmed part and reversed part the district urt’s judgment after a jury trial, lg that platiffs’ song “Blurred L” ged fendants’ pyright Marv Gaye’s song “Got To Give It Up.” The panel held that “Got To Give It Up” was entled to broad pyright protectn bee mil posns are not nfed to a narrow range of exprsn. GAYE PHARRELL WILLIAMS, an dividual; CLIFFORD HARRIS, JR., an dividual; ROBIN THICKE, an dividual, DBA I Like’em Thicke Mic, Platiffs-Counter-DefendantsAppelle, and MORE WATER FROM NAZARETH PUBLISHING, INC.; STAR TRAK ENTERTAINMENT; INTERSCOPE RECORDS; UMG RECORDINGS, INC.; UNIVERSAL MUSIC DISTRIBUTION, Counter-Defendants-Appelle, v. GAYE PHARRELL WILLIAMS, an dividual; ROBIN THICKE, an dividual, DBA I Like’em Thicke Mic; CLIFFORD HARRIS, JR., an dividual, Platiffs-Counter-DefendantsAppelle, and MORE WATER FROM NAZARETH PUBLISHING, INC.; STAR TRAK ENTERTAINMENT; INTERSCOPE RECORDS; UMG RECORDINGS, INC.; UNIVERSAL MUSIC DISTRIBUTION, Counter-Defendants-Appelle.