Tell it to the judge.

The creators of the year’s biggest hit are going to court to pre-empt a copyright claim from Marvin Gaye’s estate and Bridgeport Music, the owner of some Funkadelic compositions.

Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams and T.I. are taking action to determine that they did not copy Gaye’s 1977 hit ‘Got to Give It Up’ or the Funkadelic track ‘Sexy Ways’ when composing ‘Blurred Lines’. While admitting that they were influenced by the former record’s classic funk groove, generous use of cowbell and ad libbed studio chatter, they maintain that their own composition is an original one.

Thicke and his collaborators have now brought a lawsuit against Gaye’s family and Bridgeport, who are said to be threatening legal action unless the ‘Blurred Lines’ writers pay a monetary settlement. Rather than wait for litigation to come, this pre-emptive move will bring the case in front of a judge to determine each party’s rights. [via Billboard; CoS]

Respectful tribute or bare-faced theft? You decide: