US rockers Tool have appeared in court documents alongside over 200 other musicians who are campaigning to have a court decision against the controversial Robin Thicke song Blurred Lines overruled.
The group of musicians hope to give voice to the legal ramifications of the decision — which found that Blurred Lines infringed on the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s Got To Give It Up — because they believe the ruling will be detrimental to the music industry.
Other notable music act who are supporting the Blurred Lines appeal include Earth, Wind & Fire, Patrick Stump from Fall Out Boy, Three 6 Mafia, Danger Mouse and Linkin Park. Together, they’re backing Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I, the masterminds behind the song, and appealing the court’s decision that they pay USD$7.3 million for copyright infringement.
A joint statement from the artists (via The Hollywood Reporter) say the group is “concerned about the potential adverse impact on their own creativity, on the creativity of future artists, and on the music industry in general, if the judgment in this case is allowed to stand.
“The verdict in this case threatens to punish songwriters for creating new music that is inspired by prior works. All music shares inspiration from prior musical works, especially within a particular musical genre.
“By eliminating any meaningful standard for drawing the line between permissible inspiration and unlawful copying, the judgment is certain to stifle creativity and impede the creative process. The law should provide clearer rules so that songwriters can know when the line is crossed, or at least where the line is.”
You can read the full appeal and check out all those involved, below. Oh yeah, and we’re still waiting for that new Tool album.
Brief of Amici Curiae 212 Songwriters, Composers, Musicians, And Produce… by Eriq Gardner on Scribd
