Pharrell Williams, Robin Thicke Blurred Lines trial fine reduced by $2 million

Back in March, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were ordered to pay $7.3 million to Marvin Gaye’s family for copying parts of “Blurred Lines” from Gaye’s 1977 hit “Got To Give It Up.” Thicke appealed the ruling, and according to court papers filed Tuesday, California judge John A. Kronstadt reduced the amount to $5.3 million.

As a result, half of all future royalties from “Blurred Lines” will go to the Gaye family. Rapper T.I., who is credited as a writer on the 2013 hit, and the artists’ labels Universal, Interscope and Star Trak Entertainment are also held liable under the new ruling. T.I.’s profits from the original ruling have accordingly been cut from $1.6 million to $357,630.

The court papers obtained by EW show that likeness between the two songs’ bass melody, signature phrases, lyrics, editing and transcribed sound recordings were all taken into account at the June 29 hearing, as well as statements Thicke made about being inspired by Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” when writing “Blurred Lines.” Still, Thicke and Williams claimed the success of “Blurred Lines” had nothing to do with any of its alleged similarities to “Got To Give It Up.”

Thicke requested an entirely new trial, but the judge denied his motion. Kronstadt also denied the Gaye family’s appeal to temporarily block sales and performance of “Blurred Lines.”

Earlier this month, Thicke expressed his disappointment in the original verdict and hoped it’s be reversed the next time around. He told the New York Times, “I sure hope it comes out a different way for Pharrell and me.”