When it first dropped in 2013, Blurred Lines was just another harmless, retro-pop jam. Two years later, the unexpected aftershocks of the song’s release are still being felt: in just one song, careers were catapulted upwards or destroyed, and a groundbreaking lawsuit found the song’s writers Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke guilty of copying the work of Marvin Gaye.
The pair were ordered to pay over US $7 million towards Gaye’s estate, and Williams maintains his honest intentions, saying the verdict “handicaps any creator out there who is making something that might be inspired by something else.” Now, for the first time, footage of the trial’s depositions has been released, and the artist is as happy about being grilled as you’d expect.
After being asked if he could recall a previous question, Williams shoots back with “you know what? When I see nonsense, I don’t waste my memory on it.” The footage doesn’t get any more comfortable from there, with Williams taking offence to a particularly cutting line of questioning about his ability to read music.
Although the case has now been settled, it set an important precedence for artists and the legal process behind it is still pretty captivating. Check it out below:
