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Robin Thicke Sues Marvin Gaye's Family Over "Blurred Lines"

As if "Blurred Lines" didn't already have enough controversy, Robin Thicke has now taken the song to court. The singer and his "Blurred Lines" co-composers Pharrell Williams and Clifford Harris filed suit in Los Angeles on Thursday asking a federal judge to determine the summer hit doesn't copy songs composed by Marvin Gaye and Parliament Funkadelic, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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Sadie Gennis

As if "Blurred Lines" didn't already have enough controversy, Robin Thicke has now taken the song to court.

The singer and his "Blurred Lines" co-composers Pharrell Williams and Clifford Harris filed suit in Los Angeles on Thursday asking a federal judge to determine the summer hit doesn't copy songs composed by Marvin Gaye and Parliament Funkadelic, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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According to the filing, the Gayes and Bridgeport claim "Blurred Lines" steals from Gaye's song "Got to Give It Up" and Funkadelic's song "Sexy Ways." They have allegedly threatened litigation if the plaintiffs don't pay a monetary settlement.

"Plaintiffs, who have the utmost respect for and admiration of Marvin Gaye, Funkadelic, and their musical legacies, reluctantly file this action in the face of multiple adverse claims from alleged successors in interest to those artists," the suit states. Members of Gaye's family and Bridgeport Music, which owns some of P. Funk's songs, are named as defendants.

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"The basis of the Gaye defendants' claims is that 'Blurred Lines' and 'Got to Give It Up' 'feel' or 'sound' the same," the lawsuit states. "Being reminiscent of a 'sound' is not copyright infringement. The intent in producing 'Blurred Lines' was to evoke an era," the lawsuit states.

George Clinton, who once lead P. Funk, defended Thicke on Twitter, writing: "No sample of #Funkadelic's 'Sexy Ways' in @RobinThicke's 'Blurred Lines' - yet Armen Boladian thinks so? We support @RobinThicke @Pharrell!"

Do you think these songs sound alike?