newsmakers

newsmakers

Robin Thicke heads to court over ‘Lines’

LOS ANGELES

Robin Thicke is asking a federal judge to determine that his song “Blurred Lines” doesn’t copy from elements of two other songs.

Attorneys for Thicke and the song’s producer and co-writer, Pharrell Williams, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Thursday asking a judge to determine their song does not copy songs composed by Marvin Gaye and George Clinton.

The suit states that representatives of the owners of copyrights to Gaye’s song “Got to Give It Up” and Clinton’s song “Sexy Ways” have warned Thicke and Williams that they have used elements of the songs in “Blurred Lines.”

A representative for one of the defendants, Gaye’s son Marvin Gaye III, didn’t immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

“Blurred Lines” has been No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for 10 weeks.

hFBI probes extortion of Miss Teen USA

TEMECULA, Calif.

The FBI is investigating allegations that someone tried to extort nude photographs from the newly crowned Miss Teen USA after hacking into a webcam in her Southern California bedroom.

Cassidy Wolf told the website of NBC’s “Today” show that she received an anonymous email several months ago. The sender claimed to have stolen images from the camera on her home computer.

The FBI tells the Riverside Press-Enterprise that the emailer threatened to go public with the images unless Wolf provided nude pictures.

The 19-year-old Wolf, a graduate of Great Oak High School in Temecula, won the Miss Teen USA crown last Saturday.

Singer Fergie officially changes her name

NEW YORK

She’s the F to the E, R, G, the I, the E.

Fergie has officially changed her name: The singer born Stacy Ann Ferguson is now Fergie Duhamel.

The Grammy winner’s representative confirmed the name change Friday.

Fergie is one-fourth of the Black Eyed Peas. The 38-year-old singer is married to 40-year-old actor Josh Duhamel.

She is pregnant with their first child.

Associated Press