Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke received a heavy blow to the tune of $7.4m. The hefty sum will be awarded to the estate of Marvin Gaye. The Gaye family claims that Thicke's song Blurred Lines copies Gaye's music and is a direct ripoff. It's been a tough couple of years from Thicke. He lost his wife in a messy divorce, his career is in shambles, and his dignity is lying at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with the original hairline of LeBron James and Mariah Carey's 1990s singing voice. Robin Thicke set himself up for this predicament. He notoriously said in an awkward GQ magazine interview that he and Williams set out to record a song which had the feel of a Marvin Gaye hit. 

Many applaud the legal decision, citing copyright laws and accusing Thicke of appropriation, especially due to the controversial rape culture themes of the song. However, many point out that it could set a dangerous precedent for the music industry because the song does not actually contain samples or music from a Gaye hit. It simply creates a feeling, a practice which is prevalent in the music of many artists who have been influenced by someone before them.