In a report via the BBC, Led Zeppelin, who had won their court case over the claim that their most famous song ‘Stairway To Heaven’ was stolen, have now had that court decision overturned. A retrial is a certainty now. Michael Skidmore, the trustee of ‘Taurus’ songwriter Randy “California” Wolfe’s estate, had brought the claims more than four decades after “Stairway To Heaven” appeared on Zep’s untitled album, better known as “Led Zeppelin IV”.The verdict in the case came down within 15 minutes of the jury’s request to re-listen to both Spirit’s track ‘Taurus’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’. They wanted to hear a section of each song twice, alternating from one to the other. They decided that what they heard wasn’t substantially similar enough to call it copyright infringement. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of Skidmore appealed, and on Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided a new trial was needed because the judge who presided over a 2016 trial had given erroneous and prejudicial instructions to the jury. The part of the song in question is the descending minor chord progression which has been used in countless songs, dating back to the blues and folk music of the early 20th century. “Stairway To Heaven’ was released on Led Zeppelin IV in 1973 and ascended into pop culture as their best-known song after their 1976 concert film The Song Remains The Same. Continue reading →
