AFTER THE VERDICT IS TOSSED, LED ZEPPELIN MUST RETURN TO COURT OVER “STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN” COPYRIGHT LAWSUIT
Gene Maddaus of Variety reports:
An appeals court on Friday vacated the jury verdict in the Stairway to Heaven copyright infringement case and ordered a new trial, finding that the district court judge gave faulty jury instructions.
The ruling reopens the battle over whether Led Zeppelin borrowed from the 1968 song Taurus when it composed the classic rock anthem that appears on the 1971 release Led Zeppelin IV.
Michael Skidmore, the trustee of the Randy Craig Wolfe Trust, sued the band in 2014, arguing that Stairway to Heaven ripped off elements of Wolfe’s composition. Wolfe, Spirit’s frontman, died in 1997. A jury ruled in favor of Led Zeppelin in 2016, finding that the two songs were not substantially similar.
Skidmore appealed, and on Friday a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new trial. The panel found that U.S. District Court Judge Gary Klausner gave instructions that failed to make clear that an arrangement of otherwise unprotectable elements in a song can be sufficiently original to merit copyright protection.
Read more at Variety.
source: variety.com
Again? Oh my God! Look, if, IF, Led Zeppelin did borrow some parts, they more than paid it back in full, with “interest!” What the hell are we talking about anyway? Jeez, now I’m Dazed And Confused again, thanks Dana! 😉 LOL!!!
How, exactly, have they paid it back?
How have they paid it back? Maybe by taking whatever parts they “borrowed” and turning them into masterpieces. By enriching every music fans life with some of the greatest music ever created, or perfected. Do you need more?
Well, if the court mandates, they really should share their wealth.
They have had many missteps along the way, this Spirit case, is only the tip of the “borrowing” iceberg.
Well, it’s like I said earlier, if Zep intentionally, blatantly ripped anybody off, then absolutely they should pay up for it. They were more than innovative, creative and capable enough of making great music without borrowing anything. Their only mistake was not acknowledging credit (and cash) where is was rightly do, and to who, if necessary.
I do need more, as that isn’t even remotely “Paying it back” as nothing in the way of compensation has occurred between the two parties.
Judge: You stole this paint.
Accused: But I made this pretty picture.
Judge: Let me explain to you how this works…
Huge difference there, Mr. Apple, HUGE difference. We’re not talking about the obvious, we’re talking about speculation here. How can you prove beyond a shadow of reasonable doubt that Page purposely, knowingly and willingly plagiarized that music? And why now is this even an issue? 50 years later??
Some of Page’s testimony from the first trial: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/read-jimmy-pages-testimony-at-led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-trial-252538/
Okay, so Page admits to being aware of the song – Taurus, and playing different parts, bits and pieces of it in concert, but doesn’t everybody do that? Well, they used to be able to jam out a medley mix without having to be worried about being sued if they played a snippet of somebody else’s song, but now today, I’m sure every band that still does that has to pay it forward. It’s a sad shame, and long thin line of bullsh-t! And again, almost 50 years later? Give me a break for God’s sake!
Yes, I agree, the timeline stinks. 50 years? Stupid.
But, just give credit where its due, it’s as simple as that.
I agree.
….be careful, Gretta Van Fleet…..
LOL!
R.I.P. MARTY BALIN
“The other side of this life”
from the album
Bless its pointed little head.
Legendary voice of the Airplane.
Nobody cares about this nonsense. I think Jimmy Page is the only SPIRIT fan ever. Be grateful someone, let alone an all time great cared about your music. If they win this lawsuit does that make SPIRIT better than LED ZEPPELIN.? The songs are definitely similar but TAURUS would be long forgotten by now. Let the big boys sample your riffs and say thank you for caring. LONG LIVE DAVID WRIGHT METS THIRD BASEMAN. Total class and a great ball player.
Well, if you wrote a song, and someone else “borrowed” it, without giving you any credit. or monetary compensation, I am sure you would be pretty angry. Especially, if that song became one of the biggest “hits” of that band’s career.
Spirit shouldn’t just have to be “grateful” that someone cared about their music, they should be recompensed, should the court decide that is the proper verdict.
Monet, I just seen the highlights from David Wright night, Wright should be the Mets captain for life! Total first CLASS human being all the way! I hope he is the next Mets’ manager!
Taurus is a short instrumental, Stairway To Heaven is a 8 minute epic masterpiece. I absolutely agree there’s a strong similarity between Tauras and the intro to Stairway, was is intentional? Or coincidental? Or maybe it was both, who knows?! Only Page knows what he was thinking and feeling at the time he started working on Stairway. Maybe Taurus was in the back of his mind at that time? I’m not trying to defend him because he’s Jimmy Page, just trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. But if he really did get the inspiration and the idea for the intro for Stairway from Taurus, then their definitely should be compensation!
Yes, but that melody runs through a good portion of the track, at least half. It also happens to be the most recognizable part of the song.
Also, while I don’t dislike Zeppelin (I have owned their albums for decades), I can’t argue that they have a habit of blatantly “borrowing” music from poor, lesser known artists. Changing a note here or there, or possibly a chord progression, doesn’t mean it isn’t someone else’s work.
I guess I find it especially egregious on Zeppelin’s part, because they are considered an iconic, and influential band.
I agree that some, some parts of some of their songs were “borrowed,” but IMO most of their music, and especially their lyrics were original, at least 90/10! 😉
That should say ^ was IT (not is) intentional, and, then THERE ^ (not their) definitely should be compensation.