Led Zeppelin win Stairway To Heaven copyright court case

[snoop1130]

Led Zeppelin win Stairway To Heaven copyright court case

By James Crump

 

The band denied stealing the riff in the intro to Stairway To Heaven ( 2012 The Associated Press. )

 

Led Zeppelin have won the court case accusing them of stealing their song “Stairway to Heaven”.

 

The UK band were accused of stealing the 1971 rock classic from the song Taurus, written by Randy Wolfe, a guitarist in the band Spirit.

 

Wolfe died in 1997, but Michael Skidmore, a trustee of his estate, sought damages in 2014 for Taurus, which was written in 1968, three years prior to “Stairway to Heaven”.

 

The lawsuit claimed that the famous introduction to Stairway to Heaven was too similar to the riff in Taurus, a record that guitarist Jimmy Page admitted to owning.

 

Full Story: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/led-zeppelin-stairway-to-heaven-taurus-copyright-spirit-randy-wolfe-court-case-a9389166.html

[liddelljohn]

Spirit were a great band   So are Zep,,  Cant understand how they came to this conclusion  as Stairway to Heaven  sound just Taurus  apart from the vocals ????

[Traubert]

It's ok. Marvyn Gaye's estate will sue claiming it sounds like 'Whats Going On' and win.

 

They'd even win against the Dead Kennedy's 'Too Drunk To ****.'

[SAINT THOMAS]

Some 40+ years ago my friend and I were wondering around San Diego and came upon a concert hall there where Led Zeppelin happened to be playing just then, we were able to get tickets cheap since the concert had started from a scalper.

 

My friend and I walked down to the Stage as we were walking down my friend was stopped by security and I just kept going, I was standing about 10 feet from the stage when they started playing Stairway to Heaven maybe as a tribute to me. lol since at the time I did not know about playing it in reverse it has a whole different meaning.

 

As Above, So Below. 

[Lodestone]

Led Zeppelin’s 10 Boldest Rip-Offs

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/led-zeppelins-10-boldest-rip-offs-223419/

[URMySunshine]

3 hours ago, SAINT THOMAS said:

Some 40+ years ago my friend and I were wondering around San Diego and came upon a concert hall there where Led Zeppelin happened to be playing just then, we were able to get tickets cheap since the concert had started from a scalper.

 

My friend and I walked down to the Stage as we were walking down my friend was stopped by security and I just kept going, I was standing about 10 feet from the stage when they started playing Stairway to Heaven maybe as a tribute to me. lol since at the time I did not know about playing it in reverse it has a whole different meaning.

 

As Above, So Below. 

You've been on the sherbets. 

[jingjai9]

Does anyone know the criteria courts use to determine if a song has been copied? How much is simply done by listening to the song in question? It reminds of of the Supreme court judge who said, in essence - "I cannot give you a working definition of what constitutes pornography, but I know it when I see it." Is it the same with songs or is there a note count of some sort?

[Pedrogaz]

When this issue first came up I listened to the intro of 'Taurus' and it is difficult to imagine that Led Zep didn't;t steal it....more or less identical to my ears.

[Kadilo]

Never heard of them ????

[khunPer]

13 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

Spirit were a great band   So are Zep,,  Cant understand how they came to this conclusion  as Stairway to Heaven  sound just Taurus  apart from the vocals ????

In the days before sampling it was more easy just get inspired and compose something that might sound a bit like, or in some cases pretty much like.

 

Agree that "Stairway to Heaven" is extremely close to "Taurus" – maybe too close – but the court didn't think so.

 

Had the theme from Taurus however been sampled, there would have been no doubt – even with changed pitch and tempo – I talk from experience, I won my copyright case, which was a sampled theme.

Youtube sample of both compositions...

 

Edited March 11, 2020 by khunPer

[khunPer]

3 hours ago, jingjai9 said:

Does anyone know the criteria courts use to determine if a song has been copied? How much is simply done by listening to the song in question? It reminds of of the Supreme court judge who said, in essence - "I cannot give you a working definition of what constitutes pornography, but I know it when I see it." Is it the same with songs or is there a note count of some sort?

I think your own explanation is very correct.

 

There are no explicit rules for citat – in some cases for bars have been mentioned, but it might depend of the length of the full composition or work – but basically a citat is only legal when a citat is part of another work, and used to "illustrate" something. It's based on "good practice" and a subjective judgement.

 

Copyright law generally says:

Quote

It is permissible to quote a work in accordance with good practice and to an extent contingent on the purpose. However, one must not produce a quotation in a context that may be misleading or offensive to the author's artistic reputation, and one must always state where one is quoting from, ie. who the author of the quote is.

 

However:

Quote

The citation law does not apply to the sampling of musical works.

 

In the Led Zeppelin vs. Spirit case it was NOT sampled, but "musically inspiration"...????

 

In general a work is copyrighted until 70 years are the last author (composer/writer) is dead. You are free to reuse classical compositions, but not later arrangements, and lots of folk lore. For example, Jimi Hendrix's first hit "Hey Joe" is a free folklore tune, and Hendrix could use his own name as author, because of the arrangement. So did US-singer Huddie Leadbelly with a number of folk songs, which later became hits with others, like "Cotton Fields" with Beach Boys, and "Midnight Express" with Creedence Clearwater Revival.

[Rael007]

If you listen closely to the Spirit song in question (once the acoustic guitar comes in), there's NO DOUBT Jimmy Page was likely "inspired" by it - perhaps even took parts of it and "rephrased" them - but he didn't flat out steal it.  They are not the same; merely similar.  In fact, you could say many songs with that lilting, forlorn, six-string acoustic intro have that sound and progression.  For example, listen to the intro Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle", which is faster and more Spanish in style but the same basic progression.

 

in the end, everybody borrows or is inspired by everybody who came before.  Just ask Bo Diddley.

[Timbob]

A bogus claim and I'm glad they lost.

 

I agree with Rick Beato:

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

14 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

Spirit were a great band   So are Zep,,  Cant understand how they came to this conclusion  as Stairway to Heaven  sound just Taurus  apart from the vocals ????

Absolutely correct, the two instrumental openings could not be farther apart.

[Skeptic7]

LOVE Zep...but they definitely "borrowed" the intro. Have a history of it. 

[nervona81732]

I was at the second concert Zeppelin played at Portland Oregon 1968 December. Paid $2.75 to see Vanilla Fudge, snowing in Portland 4 foot high snow drifts and Vanilla Fudge late. Out steps this band called Led Zeppelin which I had never heard that type of music and the lights went on and they belted out Zep 1. Then Vanilla Fudge came out and played you keep me hanging on which was mild compared to what I had just experienced. Took that experience to Viet Nam with me 10 days later and got to listen to a whole array of music on AFVN ( Gooooood Morning Viet Nam ) in the head set in my Chopper if you catch my drift, Circa Robbin Williams Redux the movie , Nam was a test market for new music vinyl available in PX and went home for 30 days and Zep 2 came out and had the experience of hearing Whole Lotta Love while coming hot into an LZ. Talk about crazy <deleted>. Came home and 3 was available in Aug of 70 then in 72 4 came out and Stairway blew the top of my head off ( actually my heart ). look at the Lyrics and digest them. that song was created by the stream side out in the country in Wales. Maybe some likeness of a tune inspired Jimmy who was as a youngster before The yard Birds was a class act session artist and Plant derived his style emulating Elvis Presley in the mirror creating a style unique to him that he would develop over the years and John Bohnam was a power house and after his death his son Jason is just like his fathers talent and John Paul Jones ( stage name ) was and is still an amazing multi talented play any thing kind of guy and Plant does play a mean guitar saw it live at a FATE OF NATIONS concert in Portland , fantastic work ,( could have spent 5 hours with him after the concert )but had to be at work at 3 am to tie up ships on the docks and had to take the wife home to make a whole lotta love before I went to work and have the pictures in my possession of the concert and the 5 hours at the Heathman hotel next to the old Paramount hotel. And the day after when they went to Seattle by bus on the coast route from Oregon Via Illwaco bridge into Washing to get to their next venue in Seattle 2 days later. I missed a chance of a life time , all was chronicled by my friend billy who was a career concert goer and ticket guy who go me the tickets. Seen Zep 7 times and page and Plant 2 times and Plant 3 times. 

No to the Taurus thing, when I heard about the law suite listened to the complaint thought about and it is my opinion that Taurus was a low level band good work but you know how this world really works ( it's all about $$$$$$ ) Nuff said !!! Stairway and the creation of that phenomenal organization is worth it's weight in gold and if this is all you have to do is nit pick , taking in  to consideration the state of the world as the insanity continues, I feel regretful to inform you all nit pickers you need to get a life. Stairway was is and will be a SONG of Hope ( please refer to SWTH Madison Square Gardens ) and listen to how Plant introduced Stairway! This is a song of hope. Go ahead and respond ( I know much blow back ) not going to listen to it. Was B slapped by FB today for telling the heart felt truth about the current condition and frankly tiered of Trump hate and all the BS. To all those who love the music " BRAVO "ใ