Led Zeppelin sued over alleged stealing of “Stairway to Heaven”

Led Zeppelin

In light of the recently revived lawsuit over 1980 DeNiro movie, “Raging Bull,” this should be an interesting discussion of laches in copyright suits. In the suit, a trust for the late Spirit band guitarist, Randy California, alleges that back in 1969 the rock legends ripped-off the infamous rift while touring together across the country. California is seeking an injunction to stop a remastered release of the song, monetary reparations, and a writing credit. At issue will be the similarities of the songs, as well as laches and statute of limitation questions.

Might Stairway to Heaven sound like a copy of Taurus, to an ordinary lay listener?

 

 

For a detailed history on the suit, see this great article by Bloomberg Businessweek.

Related Articles:

Time’s, “Led Zeppelin is Getting Sued Over ‘Stairway to Heaven.'”

Rolling Stone’s, “Led Zellepin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Targeted for Plagiarism.

NY Times, “Justices Reinstate Copyright Lawsuit over ‘Raging Bull.’