It has always been illegal, again, Verve vs. Rolling Stones, many other cases. This is why I find this humorous. Guys who have dodged sampling thinking someone was gonna run up in your pockets are mind blown for no reason. If your music has a vibe or sound of a copyrighted piece, you can end up in the same situation once similarities are seen. NO ONE IS SAFE AND NEVER HAS BEEN.
I never would've done such a rip off in Pharrell's shoes. I would've known the song could've gotten too big. Which it did.
See, it's all about money in the end. James Brown's estate wouldn't waste time going after this....
But Blurred Lines did NUMBERS. Anytime you do numbers in music, someone's coming for you. Put 30% aside for taxes and another 30% for that situation that may pop up. Music 101.