Robin Thicke sues Marvin Gaye's family

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Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" may be the hit of the summer, but it's had its fair share of critics, most notably the family of late soul singer Marvin Gay, who claim that the song has eerie similarities to the singer's "Got to Give It Up". In protecting his smash single from further legal action, Thicke has joined with collaborators Pharrell Williams and T.I. in filing a lawsuit against Gaye's family and Bridgeport Music.

In the case, Thicke, Williams and T.I. claim they have "the utmost respect for and admiration of Marvin Gaye, Funkadelic and their musical legacies," but must "reluctantly file this action in the face of multiple adverse claims from alleged successors in interest to those artists."

Further details via The Huffington Post:

The suit claims the Gaye family is alleging that "Blurred Lines" and Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" "feel" or "sound" the same, and that the "Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work."

As for Funkadelic, there's said to be claimed similarity between Thicke's hit and Funakedlic's "Sexy Ways."

"But there are no similarities between plaintiffs' composition and those the claimants allege they own, other than commonplace musical elements," states the lawsuit. "Plaintiffs created a hit and did it without copying anyone else's composition

Thicke's "Blurred Lines", currently in its tenth week at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, is no stranger to controversy. Earlier this summer, critics claimed that the provocative music video embraced misogyny, while other critics have made assertions that the song condones rape.

You can listen to "Blurred Lines" and Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" below. Do you think they sound similar? Does Marvin Gaye's family have a case here? Sound off in the comments!