Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke to pay $7.3m for copying Marvin Gaye on Blurred Lines

Marvin Gaye's children were awarded $7.3m (£4.85m) on Tuesday, after finding that singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams copied their father's music to create Blurred Lines.

Nona Gaye, daughter of the late soul singer, burst into tears as the verdict was read out.

"Right now, I feel free," Nona Gaye said after the verdict, according to an AP report. "Free from... Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke's chains and what they tried to keep on us and the lies that were told."

The Gayes' lawyer Richard Busch, called Williams and Thicke liars who went beyond trying to imitate the sound of Gaye's music and instead copied outright the R&B singer's Got to Give It Up.

"They fought this fight despite every odd being against them," Busch said of the Gaye family outside court.

Thicke told jurors he didn't write Blurred Lines, and Williams testified he penned the song in about 60 minutes during 2012. A section by rapper T.I. was added later.

It was revealed that Williams signed a document stating he didn't use any other artists' work in the music and would be responsible if a successful copyright claim was produced.

Thicke testified he was not present when the song was written, even though he received credit.

Nona, Frankie and Marvin Gaye III, sued the singers in 2013. Marvin Gaye died in 1984, bequeathing his children the copyrights to his music.

Lawyer for the Gaye family, Richard Busch told reporters that he had filed for an injunction to stop the sale of Blurred Lines.

"They started this fight, and we ended it," Busch said. "The jury saw through everything, and we're very pleased."

Howard King, the attorney for Williams and Thicke, told NBC, "of course, we're disappointed." He said he had "no idea" whether his clients wanted to appeal, but he said the case "is only in the seventh inning."