Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and Robert Plant did not plagiarise Stairway To Heaven, court rules
The stars have been at the centre of a copyright lawsuit, which accused them of copying American band Spirit’s song Taurus
Led Zeppelin rock legends Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have been found not guilty of stealing the opening chords for their 1971 classic “Stairway to Heaven.”
Michael Skidmore accused the two of stealing material for the hit song from the 1967 instrumental “Taurus” by the band Spirit.
(Image: Getty)
He brought the action suing Plant, 67, and Page, 72, for copyright infringement.
A panel of four men and four women today finished three days of deliberation to decide the chords had not been plagiarised.
After the verdict Jimmy Page and Robert Plant said in a joint statement: “We are grateful for the jury’s conscientious service and pleased that it has ruled in our favour, putting to rest questions about the origins of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and confirming what we have known for 45 years.
“We appreciate our fans’ support, and look forward to putting this legal matter behind us.”
(Image: Getty)
During the two-week trial Plant said he had no recollection of hanging out with the band Spirit in 1970, nor having “Taurus” in his mind while composing Led Zeppelin’s most memorable hit.
To much hilarity he also testified he can’t read music or remember the ’60s.
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In his closing speech on Wednesday, Mr Skidmore’s lawyer Francis Malofiy said members of Led Zeppelin had tried to rewrite the history of Stairway To Heaven during the week-long trial.
“This case has always been about credit,” he said.
“We are asking for a third credit. It doesn’t displace Mr Plant. It doesn’t displace Mr Page.
(Image: Getty)
“Stairway To Heaven’s introduction was lifted from a piece called Taurus.”
Mr Malofiy said Page told the court he had not watched Spirit live, but this contradicted previous interviews he had given, including a 1970 article in NME in which he said he had “enjoyed seeing them”.
(Image: Mirrorpix)
“If you can’t believe what someone is saying about one issue, you can’t believe what they are saying about any issue,” he said.
“In this case there has been a changing of the facts – a complete rewrite of the history of how the song was written.”
In his closing speech, Led Zeppelin ‘s lawyer Peter Anderson said the similarity between Taurus and Stairway To Heaven was a “descending chromatic chord progression” that has been used by musicians for hundreds of years.
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“Randy Wolfe is not entitled to work he didn’t do,” Mr Anderson said.
“It is like saying this child has a different parent.”
Plant, 67, and Page, 72, have sat next to each other in court after attending each day of the trial.
Stairway to Heaven is one of the most successful rock songs of all time earning Led Zeppelin hundreds of millions of pounds .
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