Copyright row over "Stairway to Heaven"

[64Guitars]

"The copyright infringement action is being taken on behalf of late guitarist Randy California, who played on the same bill as Led Zeppelin in the 1960s.

His lawyers say that he should be given a writing credit on the 1971 track."

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27497950



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



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPSkNFODVRE


I don't know. Sure, that one section is quite similar. But can you copyright a small section of a song? I thought you could only copyright an entire song. Overall, the two songs are quite different. And even that one section is not exactly the same.

I'm also wondering why there was no lawsuit while Randy California was alive. I'm guessing he wasn't bothered by the similarity. So why pursue it now? Money, I guess.

[Greeny]

This one will be very hard to prove plagiarism on. Just a few notes really. Unlike some of the other blatant rip-offs zep did. Too many to mention here, but Dazed and Confused is apalling. They didn't even change the title on that one! They must just really love money...

[henwrench]

    Weird one. When I first played that Spirit track, I was like, OMG!! Sounds EXACTLY the same as STH. Zep OBVIOUSLY ripped this off...But then when I played STH, I was like, nah, actually nothing like it really. I mean, yea, there is a descending bass note that's vaguely reminiscent, but that's all.

        There are echo's of previous recordings and songs in virtually everything. There just has to be. And whether purely coincidental or consciously 'copied' or re-worked, so what?  Regardless of any money issues, the 'copier' will always never take any real satisfaction from their 'creation', knowing in their hearts that they simply ripped something off....

           The whole subject is worthy of it's own website (there probably already is one).

               To use John Lennon's words... Nothing you can know that isn't known.




                                                                              henwrench

[Greeny]

The story of this one is pretty sick and doesn't put Zep in a good light at all.

They didn't even acknowledge it till 2012!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTsvs-pAGDc

[chip]

Sure there's a few notes but I wouldn't go as far to say they ripped it off. The song by Spirit is very different apart from the disputed notes, that is. And, as has already been pointed out, many other songs/chords/harmonies/melodies sound like something else. Nowadays it's very hard if not impossible to write something truly unique, the chords, notes have to come from somewhere and that somewhere is already there somewhere.

[henwrench]

...notes have to come from somewhere and that somewhere is already there somewhere.

       Fucking poetry....beautiful.

                                                           henwrench

[Greeny]

...notes have to come from somewhere and that somewhere is already there somewhere.

      Fucking poetry....beautiful.

                                                           henwrench

Aye... that's hell of a lyric. Shall we nick it?!

[Hook]

...notes have to come from somewhere and that somewhere is already there somewhere.

      Fucking poetry....beautiful.

                                                           henwrench

Aye... that's hell of a lyric. Shall we nick it?!

Already have!
Take on!

[Farrell Jackson]

Spirit was a great group back in the day and they influenced rock music without a doubt with their musical experimentation and innovation. I've covered several of their songs over the years in various bands. I've also heard this comparison of Stairway to Heaven to Taurus before. Yes it's a similar opening riff or chords but to call it a complete rip off is a stretch in my opinion. There are many hit songs using the same chords and even identical melodies in some cases every year and they don't get sued. I think the over whelming success of Stairway To Heaven and the forth coming release of Led Zep's re-mastered album certainly is the catalyst for this lawsuit. Why now and not years ago when Randy California was alive? He probably wouldn't agree to it but now that he's gone it's an open gate to fortune and fame or so the bass player thinks. I suppose if I had come up with the riff and it was a published song I might do the same but I would have done it long ago. The bass player must have writing credits for the song Taurus or he wouldn't be pur-suing this path.

Farrell

[Oldrottenhead]

Men at work got done for their song "down under" I can't recall song it was meant to have copied. But it sounded nothing like the song they where accused of copying but they still lost.   Update: song was kookabura. ?