Blurred Lines Appeal

The Hollywood Reporter announces that a group of over 200 musicians has banded together to appeal the Blurred Lines decision, in which a judge declared the song to be copyright infringement. The appeal includes members of Train, Linkin Park, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Black Crowes, Fall Out Boy, Tool and Tears for Fears as well as Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, John Oates of Hall & Oates, R. Kelly, Hans Zimmer, Jennifer Hudson, Jean Baptiste, Evan Bogart and Brian Burton (Danger Mouse). Their brief reads as follows:

"The verdict in this case threatens to punish songwriters for creating new music that is inspired by prior works," states the artists' brief authored by Ed McPherson. "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.

Such a result, if allowed to stand, is very dangerous to the music community, is certain to stifle future creativity, and ultimately does a disservice to past songwriters as well," they add. "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."