Fross Zelnick partner James D. Weinberger recently moderated the panel “Blurred Lines – Five Years Down the Line” for the New York chapter of The Copyright Society. This engaging conversation delved into the aftermath of the Ninth Circuit’s landmark 2018 decision in Williams v. Gaye, which confirmed that the hit song “Blurred Lines” infringed on Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.”
At the time, concerns loomed over whether this ruling would dampen musical innovation and hinder artists who draw inspiration from their predecessors. Since then, a series of notable music infringement cases involving artists like Led Zeppelin, Katy Perry, and Ed Sheeran culminated in non-infringement verdicts.
James led a discussion among panelists Clark Miller, a leading consultant in the Music and Technology space, Helene M. Freeman, Partner at Phillips Nizer LLP who defended Led Zeppelin in a recent case involving Stairway to Heaven, and Keisha Rice, Partner at Frank & Rice, P.A., who was plaintiff’s counsel in the Ed Sheeran litigation, in looking back over the past five years, and how the decision in Williams v. Gaye has shaped the subsequent cases dealing with music substantial similarity.
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For more information on James’s IP practice, click here.