Blurred Lines type Music genre Pop

Back in December, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams filed an appeal against the verdict that ordered them to pay Marvin Gaye’s family more than $5 million for copyright infringement when a judge determined “Blurred Lines” had copied from Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.”

Now, more than 200 artists and musicians have backed Thicke and Williams’ appeal in an amicus brief filed with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to support the bid. The names featured on the list include John Oates of Hall & Oates, Jennifer Hudson, Jean Baptiste, Hans Zimmer, R. Kelly, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, members of Train, Linkin Park, The Black Crowes, Earth Wind and Fire, and Tears for Fears.

“[We] are 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 brief states. “The verdict in this case threatens to punish songwriters for creating new music that is inspired by prior works.”

It continues: “One can only imagine what our music would have sounded like if David Bowie would have been afraid to draw from Shirley Bassie, or if the Beatles would have been afraid to draw from Chuck Berry, or if Elton John would have been afraid to draw from the Beatles, or if Elvis Presley would have been afraid to draw from his many influences.”

See the full brief at The Hollywood Reporter.