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"Blurred Lines" Means Changing Focus: Juries Composed Of Musical Artists Should Decide Music Copyright Infringement Cases, Not Lay Juries, Jason Palmer

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The verdict in Williams v. Bridgeport Music, Inc., or the "Blurred Lines" case, surprised a lot of people. It surprised the public, as many did not expect there to be infringement. It also surprised the litigants, because the jury's special verdict form contained a logical inconsistency indicating that something had been decided incorrectly. However, the jury cannot be faulted for this inconsistency because it was tasked with deciphering the indecipherable. The fault lies in the way copyright law establishes infringement. This Note investigates the apparent circuit split in determining music copyright infringement and proposes that it is illusory. All circuits …