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Thread started 10/20/14 7:22pm

wildgoldenhone
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Led Zepplin getting sued for stealing 'Stairway to Heaven'


Led Zeppelin may not be able to buy a “Stairway to Heaven” after some current legal troubles over the iconic 1971 song. A lawsuit was filed in Pennsylvania against the influential English rock band and its music companies. Among the defendants are Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, Super Hype Publishing Inc., and Warner Music Group.

The lawsuit was filed in late May 2014 by the family members of Randy Craig Wolfe who claim that the music from “Stairway” actually came from the rock group Spirit, of which Wolfe (a.k.a. Randy California) was a founding member in 1967. They specialized in progressive, psychedelic, and hard rock.


They assert that Page stole the tune—particularly the guitar chords—from Spirit’s instrumental song "Tauru," which the late Wolfe wrote. While Zeppelin toured with them in 1968, Page was able to become familiar with their music. As a result, they discredit the story of how Page wrote “Stairway” while secluded in a remote cabin in Wales.

"What happened to Randy California and Spirit is wrong. Led Zeppelin needs to do the right thing and give credit where credit is due. Randy California deserves writing credit for “Stairway to Heaven” and to take his place as an author of Rock’s greatest song," wrote the plaintiff in an amended complaint.


The defendants claimed that, as British citizens, they hold no stake in Pennsylvania, and the case must be transferred or dismissed.

However, an amended complaint by the plaintiff states that they are under the jurisdiction of Eastern Pennsylvania and they "exploited" the song in the area for millions of dollars through CD sales, digital downloads, television play, and concert performances.

District Court Judge Juan Sánchez denied grounds for dismissal or transfer on Oct. 10.

This is not the first time the band has been accused of stealing songs. Sixteen of their songs have been accused of being lifted from musicians like Jake Holmes, Bobby Parker, and Ritchie Valens. Among them are “Communication Breakdown,” and “Whole Lotta Love.”


According to their "Claims For Relief," the Randy Craig Wolfe Trust will receive thousands, possibly millions, of dollars in damages if successful.


Read more: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Led-Zeppelin-Faces-Pennsylvania-Lawsuit-Over-Stairway-279720172.html#ixzz3Gk4xAeoF
Follow us: @nbcphiladelphia on Twitter | nbcphiladelphia on Facebook



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Reply #1 posted 10/20/14 11:01pm

SoulAlive

hmmm isn't there a statute of limitations with these type of lawsuits? That song was released in 1971!

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Reply #2 posted 10/21/14 12:28am

BombSquad

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sue the hell out of ALL involved responsioble parties for crimes against humanity

that most overrated trash in history is such a giant snoozefest, it must have sent legions of otherwise healthy vivid people into coma, good fucking riddance

Has anyone tried unplugging the United States and plugging it back in?
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Reply #3 posted 10/21/14 4:56am

missfee

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spit This is absolutely laughable!

I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
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Reply #4 posted 10/21/14 6:08am

thesoulbrother

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Really?! Some 43 years later? GTFOH, son!

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Reply #5 posted 10/21/14 6:11am

thesoulbrother

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BombSquad said:

sue the hell out of ALL involved responsioble parties for crimes against humanity

that most overrated trash in history is such a giant snoozefest, it must have sent legions of otherwise healthy vivid people into coma, good fucking riddance

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Reply #6 posted 10/21/14 6:23am

Graycap23

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SoulAlive said:

hmmm isn't there a statute of limitations with these type of lawsuits? That song was released in 1971!

Would u say that if it were your song?

FOOLS multiply when WISE Men & Women are silent.
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Reply #7 posted 10/21/14 6:48am

WorldofPeace

Yes sue the fucking thieves

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Reply #8 posted 10/21/14 10:45am

missfee

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Graycap23 said:

SoulAlive said:

hmmm isn't there a statute of limitations with these type of lawsuits? That song was released in 1971!

Would u say that if it were your song?

It's pretty silly to wait nearly 4 decades to suddenly remember that your song was plagarized. Sorry. shrug

I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
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Reply #9 posted 10/21/14 10:49am

Graycap23

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missfee said:

Graycap23 said:

Would u say that if it were your song?

It's pretty silly to wait nearly 4 decades to suddenly remember that your song was plagarized. Sorry. shrug

When did they find out?

FOOLS multiply when WISE Men & Women are silent.
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Reply #10 posted 10/21/14 10:51am

WorldofPeace

missfee said:

Graycap23 said:

Would u say that if it were your song?

It's pretty silly to wait nearly 4 decades to suddenly remember that your song was plagarized. Sorry. shrug

They could of waited 6 decades , Led are still thieves nod

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Reply #11 posted 10/21/14 10:54am

Graycap23

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missfee said:

Graycap23 said:

Would u say that if it were your song?

It's pretty silly to wait nearly 4 decades to suddenly remember that your song was plagarized. Sorry. shrug

The longer u wait.......the bigger your take.

FOOLS multiply when WISE Men & Women are silent.
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Reply #12 posted 10/21/14 11:50am

bobzilla77

I think their case is weak. There's lot of songs that pre-date Taurus with the same chord progression. I heard one by folks guitarist Davey Graham, who was a known influence on Page, that was recorded in the early 60s.

But honestly after Robin Thicke had to pay damages to Marvin Gaye's family on an even shakier charge of plagiarism, I bet Zeppelin end up paying something. In the same way that public opinion favors the great Marvin Gaye over lightwiehgt low-talent Thicke, everyone knows Led Zeppelin loved to steal things, and they're plenty rich. They will eventually pay to make it stop, and everyone will think that's fine.

Or maybe they'll find the living heirs of Davey Graham and give them the money instead! Then Graham's heirs can sue Spirit's heirs for the royalties to "Taurus".

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Reply #13 posted 10/21/14 12:11pm

MickyDolenz

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You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #14 posted 10/21/14 1:23pm

thedoorkeeper

Just listened to a 30 second snippet on Amazon
and I can hear it. But why the delay in the lawsuit?
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Reply #15 posted 10/21/14 1:41pm

MickyDolenz

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thedoorkeeper said:

But why the delay in the lawsuit?

It appears the family of Randy Wolfe is suing (who is dead now), not him or the group. Maybe the group didn't care and the family wants money now.

You can take a black guy to Nashville from right out of the cotton fields with bib overalls, and they will call him R&B. You can take a white guy in a pin-stripe suit who’s never seen a cotton field, and they will call him country. ~ O. B. McClinton
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Reply #16 posted 10/21/14 2:20pm

Miles

As far as I understand it, you cannot copyright a chord sequence. Lyrics perhaps, but there are thousands of songs, eg blues songs, with the same chord sequence. Why don't all the dead bluesmen's estates sue each other for 'plagiarism'?

And what happens if the chords were inverted, so not quite 'the same'? How would you prove that? eek wink .

[Edited 10/21/14 14:26pm]

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Reply #17 posted 10/21/14 2:34pm

JoeTyler

bitch please

if anything, I'd call this a MAJOR IMPROVEMENT, not stealing...

tinkerbell
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Reply #18 posted 10/21/14 4:45pm

SoulAlive

Miles said:

As far as I understand it, you cannot copyright a chord sequence. Lyrics perhaps, but there are thousands of songs, eg blues songs, with the same chord sequence. Why don't all the dead bluesmen's estates sue each other for 'plagiarism'?



And what happens if the chords were inverted, so not quite 'the same'? How would you prove that? eek wink .

[Edited 10/21/14 14:26pm]




very good point.I think their case is weak.
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Reply #19 posted 10/22/14 12:30am

BombSquad

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WorldofPeace said:

Yes sue the fucking thieves

this bland shit posing as groundbreaking music should just go away finally

pretentious whining over stolen chords, riffs and melodies just won't do it for me these days. from day one they started to beg, boorrow and steal from anyone available left and right, sometimes with sometimes without giving credit, absolutley shameless.
what's almost as annoying, over their career they showed no progress or develoepment, samey old shit over and over and over, yaaawn...
yes, in my younger days I admit I used to dig some of their records more or less, but thankfully I grew older and wiser. was there a nice riff every now and then? sure, but very seldom. so the low parts overshadow this by far, which makes the entire bunch of posers unlistenable for me.







I know I know, "borrowing" and "inspiration" happens all the time in music with all artists, including Prince of course. but to build almost the entire legacy (even including their two best known classics) just on copy&paste, renders them irrelevant overrated trash



so sue them fucking posers!

Has anyone tried unplugging the United States and plugging it back in?
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Reply #20 posted 10/22/14 4:56am

WorldofPeace

BombSquad said:

WorldofPeace said:

Yes sue the fucking thieves

this bland shit posing as groundbreaking music should just go away finally

pretentious whining over stolen chords, riffs and melodies just won't do it for me these days. from day one they started to beg, boorrow and steal from anyone available left and right, sometimes with sometimes without giving credit, absolutley shameless.
what's almost as annoying, over their career they showed no progress or develoepment, samey old shit over and over and over, yaaawn...
yes, in my younger days I admit I used to dig some of their records more or less, but thankfully I grew older and wiser. was there a nice riff every now and then? sure, but very seldom. so the low parts overshadow this by far, which makes the entire bunch of posers unlistenable for me.







I know I know, "borrowing" and "inspiration" happens all the time in music with all artists, including Prince of course. but to build almost the entire legacy (even including their two best known classics) just on copy&paste, renders them irrelevant overrated trash



so sue them fucking posers!

thumbs up!

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Reply #21 posted 10/22/14 4:59am

missfee

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MickyDolenz said:

thedoorkeeper said:

But why the delay in the lawsuit?

It appears the family of Randy Wolfe is suing (who is dead now), not him or the group. Maybe the group didn't care and the family wants money now.

That's exactly what it is.

I will forever love and miss you...my sweet Prince.
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Reply #22 posted 10/22/14 5:33am

steakfinger

That is an EXTREMELY common chord sequence and it's only the intro part of Stairway that even vaguely resembles the half-assed song they're being accused of stealing from. Everything else is completely different AND better.

There are Prince songs that resemble almost exactly another song, (Colonized Mind comes to, well, mind). Also, whatever that old ass Italian disco jam that is Chelsea Rodgers.

This is perhaps one of the few songs Led Zeppelin does NOT need to be sued over.

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Reply #23 posted 10/22/14 5:34am

steakfinger

Hell, the opening riff to Pleactrum Electrum is The Ocean by Led Zeppelin.

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Reply #24 posted 10/22/14 7:24am

RodeoSchro

steakfinger said:

Hell, the opening riff to Pleactrum Electrum is The Ocean by Led Zeppelin.



Thank you! I knew the PE riff was familiar but couldn't put my finger on it.

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Reply #25 posted 10/22/14 11:52am

SoulAlive

steakfinger said:

That is an EXTREMELY common chord sequence and it's only the intro part of Stairway that even vaguely resembles the half-assed song they're being accused of stealing from. Everything else is completely different AND better.

There are Prince songs that resemble almost exactly another song, (Colonized Mind comes to, well, mind). Also, whatever that old ass Italian disco jam that is Chelsea Rodgers.

This is perhaps one of the few songs Led Zeppelin does NOT need to be sued over.

I agree.Some of these plagiarism lawsuits are a little silly to me.

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Reply #26 posted 10/22/14 12:33pm

Graycap23

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WorldofPeace said:

BombSquad said:

this bland shit posing as groundbreaking music should just go away finally

pretentious whining over stolen chords, riffs and melodies just won't do it for me these days. from day one they started to beg, boorrow and steal from anyone available left and right, sometimes with sometimes without giving credit, absolutley shameless.
what's almost as annoying, over their career they showed no progress or develoepment, samey old shit over and over and over, yaaawn...
yes, in my younger days I admit I used to dig some of their records more or less, but thankfully I grew older and wiser. was there a nice riff every now and then? sure, but very seldom. so the low parts overshadow this by far, which makes the entire bunch of posers unlistenable for me.







I know I know, "borrowing" and "inspiration" happens all the time in music with all artists, including Prince of course. but to build almost the entire legacy (even including their two best known classics) just on copy&paste, renders them irrelevant overrated trash



so sue them fucking posers!

thumbs up!

Wow...........someone did some good work documenting this.

FOOLS multiply when WISE Men & Women are silent.
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