Led Zeppelin in court for Stairway.

[Mikey]

Zepp's getting sued for ripping off a song called Taurus by a band name Spirit.

They're in court and the jury is out as we speak.

What do you think ?

Taurus (FF 40 seconds in)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd8AVbwB_6E&nohtml5=False

Stairway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pPvNqOb6RA

m

[4NDR01D]

Around a minute forty in its similar. Almost sounds like a muzak version for a little bit. But if that's it Id hardly call it plagiarism. But I'm no copyright lawyer so what do I know. Guess we'll find out soon enough.

[EMCE Hammer]

It's Ice Ice Baby all over again.

[palitoy]

Zepplin has been accused of theft more than Carlos Mencia.

[Joshua the Atomic Robot]

I'm a fan of Led Zeppelin, but let's get real. Those guys were NOTORIOUS for ripping off old blues songs and not giving credit to the original writers. I'm not sure why it is so shocking to think they would do the same thing to one of their musical contemporaries. And Spirit were one of the best bands of the 1960s and '70s. They never really got really popular, but they were a great band. If you're a fan of classic rock from that era, you should really check them out.

[Werewolf]

Led Zeppelin opened for Spirit. There's a pretty good chance they heard the song before they wrote Stairway.

This is also not the only song they allegedly plagiarized.

http://www.vh1.com/news/53929/the-case-against-led-zeppelin/

[Hector]

Just a couple of chords...but I'm kinda digging that Taurus song, lol...

[sprytel]

Like Werewolf said, beyond the audio similarities... there is a pretty compelling case against Led Zeppelin. I'm comfortable saying they "borrowed" the lick. Legally, I think they will be forced to pay through the nose.

But I do not think that one progression (however iconic) defines "Stairway". And ethically, I don't think it is right that they can bring this case to trial so many years after the fact.

[Mikey]

......... And ethically, I don't think it is right that they can bring this case to trial so many years after the fact.

A lack of sufficient resources is cited as one of the reasons that Spirit’s members and their survivors did not file the suit earlier. A friend of California's mother explained: “Nobody had any money, and they thought the statute of limitations was done”, adding, "It will be nice if Randy got the credit". If the Spirit lawsuit is successful, past royalties earned by the song—estimated at more than US$550 million—will not be part of the settlement, but the publisher and composers may be entitled to a share of the future profits.

m

[Brazoo]

I love Zep to death. They're so damn awesome and talented --- but the thievery was shameless.

"Your Time Is Gonna Come..."

[Nostalgiabuff]

come on, to claim they did not have the resources is BS. had they brought this to any good attorney, the lawyer would have proceeded knowing they have a very good case. at this point they are just looking for a cash grab

[daz71]

i've thought that for ages weird how it's just come to light nearly 50 years after taurus was made.

[daz71]

spirit were in a 60s movie called model shop they did the soundtrack too.

[cjefferys]

I love Zep to death. They're so damn awesome and talented --- but the thievery was shameless.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with you on this, but I still love them. I think Jake Holmes had a far better case with "Dazed and Confused" though (his original version of the song is pretty great too). He ended up settling rather than drag the case out, I wonder how much money he got.

[huedell]

Zeppelin rules. And although I respect the Spirit guy taking a shot, I still think it's a stupid fight to fight after all these years. To me, it's like suing Francis Scott Key. Star Spangled Banner is Key's, no matter what any court says.