Source link : https://las-vegas-news.com/the-6-iconic-songs-you-are-not-legally-allowed-to-cover-without-consequences-even-for-a-small-performance/
Most musicians assume that covering a famous song is just a matter of picking up a guitar and playing. The reality is considerably more complicated. Behind every well-known song sits a web of legal ownership, royalty obligations, and licensing requirements that can catch performers off guard, even in the smallest venues or on the most casual online stage.
Performing cover songs without proper licensing can lead to severe legal consequences, including copyright infringement lawsuits, loss of profits, legal fees, and damage to reputation and career prospects. The six songs below illustrate just how high the stakes can be – and how easily the uninformed can stumble into legal trouble.
“Blurred Lines” – Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I.
Few songs have reshaped how the music industry thinks about copyright quite like “Blurred Lines.” The song was a massive commercial hit, spending twelve weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Yet its success came with a legal reckoning that still reverberates today.
The song became the subject of a major dispute with Marvin Gaye’s family and Bridgeport Music, who claimed it infringed on their copyright and was inspired by Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up” from 1977. On March 10, 2015, the jury unanimously found Thicke and Williams liable for copyright infringement, awarding a sum of $7.3 million in damages to Gaye’s…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-06-26 06:27:00
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