LED ZEPPELIN “Stairway To Heaven” Lawsuit Set For Trial In May
February 8, 2016, 8 years ago
The judge presiding over a lawsuit challenging the authenticity of Led Zeppelin's signature song "Stairway To Heaven" has rejected a bid to delay the case, setting the stage for a May trial - if it doesn't get settled or dismissed before then, reports Vernon Silver of Bloomberg.com.
The case stems from what, to some ears, is a similarity between "Stairway To Heaven" and "Taurus", an instrumental piece released on Spirit’s debut album in 1968. The musicians deny the infringement allegations and say Robert Plant and Jimmy Page alone wrote the song. Spirit guitarist Randy California, who composed "Taurus", died in 1997. The trustee who handles his royalties sued in May 2014, claiming "falsification of rock 'n' roll history."
The dispute may soon come to a head. The court has scheduled a settlement conference next month for the opposing parties to try to resolve the dispute. But Led Zeppelin also says they plan to file a motion for summary judgment to end the case. Learn more at this location.
