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Pharrell renews Sony/ATV deal
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 29 March 2018
Pharrell Williams has renewed his worldwide publishing deal with Sony/ATV. The deal puts him into his third decade with the publisher and comes hot on the heels of the US courts upholding that multi-million dollar song-theft lawsuit against the top pop maker.
Says Sony/ATV CEO Marty Bandier: “Pharrell has been part of my extended music business family for two decades and his talent, creativity and songwriting abilities are only exceeded by his humanity. We are delighted and proud to continue to work with him and his team”.
Williams added: “It’s incredible to think that it’s now 20 years since I first signed a publishing deal with these guys. I look forward to continued success with Marty and Sony/ATV”.
Last week, the Ninth Circuit appeals court in the US upheld the ruling in the high profile ‘Blurred Lines’ song-theft case. It confirmed that Williams and Robin Thicke did indeed infringe Marvin Gaye’s ‘Got To Give It Up’ when they wrote their 2013 hit ‘Blurred Lines’.
Of the three judges ruling in the appeal, one dissented, arguing that it wrongly allowed Gaye’s estate to copyright the ‘vibe’ of a record. She said that upholding the earlier ruling “establishes a dangerous precedent that strikes a devastating blow to future musicians and composers everywhere”.
The other two judges claimed that his was “unfounded hyperbole”. Further appeals are likely.
