Assignment #4: Plagiarism and Fabrication

        Just as you take the things that you are passionate about very seriously, so do musicians and entertainers. Although all of us have our favorite musical artists and think that their music is unlike any others, a lot of the base beats and rhythms are derived from other older songs. Nonetheless, musicians do not take lightly to their works being taken and sampled without their consent and compensation. Creating music and an experience its how that are able to leave their legacy even after their passing, so it is only right they they do what they can to protect it. 

        After the release of the pop song “Blurred Lines” by Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke in 2013 the family of Marvin Gaye sued the two for copyright claims that they took from one of his hit songs that debuted in 1977 “Got to Give It Up”. After listeners took to the internet to keep on the comparison that was noticed, both the pop stars denied the allegations. The case, in particular, was significant in that the court ruled in favor of Gaye’s family on the basis that the copyright realm is broad as it pertains to a song as musical components are not confined to a small area of expression. The family won two rulings for the case, the first leading to a large multi-million dollar settlement as well as half of the royalties to the song “Blurred Lines” indefinitely. The second ruling being more recent should urge artists to be considerate of being sure to give credit up front for those who inspire the vibe, beat, or general inspiration for a song as to ensure that they can avoid having to deal with the legal drama and ramifications. Musicians want to be compensated for their musical works as it is what they do for a living.

        These types of lawsuits are not something new they have been happening for decades, one of the most memorable being back in 1956 when Chuck Berry sued John Lennon over a song that he wrote for the Beatles by the name of “Come Together”. The song was found to be heavily influenced by one of Berry’s songs entitled “You Can’t Catch Me”. Not only the bass and instrumental but also took a line of lyrics from Chuck’s song that said, “Here come old flat-top...”. Years before the lawsuit Lennon acknowledged the similarities and influence between the songs. When it came time for the trial, Lennon opted to plead out and pay Berry. Many saw this as an omission for guilt on part of Lennon, who still felt as though he did nothing wrong, and figured had he omitted Berry’s lyrics he used that the lawsuit would have had no basis. Nonetheless, Berry won his case and was able to protect his work.