Know Your Enemy

"The 'Blurred Lines' ruling is a disaster. Ignorant, reactionary and dangerous."

Guardian music critic Dorian Lynskey on the ruling that awarded Marvin Gaye's family $7.3m due to similarities between Pharrell Williams' and Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' and Gaye's 1977 song 'Got To Give It Up'.

As satisfying as it is to see that chump Thicke take another very public hit, Lynskey is right to suggest that the verdict is problematic. As the New York Times' Jon Caramanica explains, it's "a victory for an outmoded law, but also an outmoded way of thinking about music". It'll be interesting to see what Williams' and Thicke's next move is - and whether it ultimately results in an update to the legislation.