Rock and Roll icon Led Zeppelin has been known of facing copyright infringement due to the continuing Stairway to Heaven case. Simply put, lawyers that sue Led Zeppelin claim that the opening to Stairway to Heaven was actually stolen, in which the band is willing to pay US$1.
According to Independent, the band's lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page face a US jury trial over the 1971 classic after Michael Skidmore; a trustee for the late Randy Wolfe or Randy California of Spirit. Page was said to have been inspired to write Stairway to Heaven after hearing Spirit's performance of Taurus while the bands toured back in 1968 to 1969. The lawyers of Led Zeppelin then claimed that any similarity between the said songs was a simple effect of a common musical structure that was around for many years.
As per The Guardian, the $1 offer would still come at a bigger price, as Randy California would need a writing credit on the track, which also points to future profits. Attorney Francis Alexander Malofiy, the legal representative of Michael Skidmore, was quoted on his reasoning, "It's always been about credit where credit is due."
Brief Report noted that there was a filing by Malofiy in the case that cited a 2008 agreement in which both Page and Plant receive $60M over 10 years with Warner/Chappell Music, for the company's right to use Stairway and other songs. Malofiy has then requested at least two thirds of said amount should be appointed to the infringing period, thus, ending in a total of $40M.
Skidmore stated that any windfall would support the Randy California Project that supplies musical instruments and lessons to students at low-profit schools in California. The supposed copyright infringement trial is set for May 10th in Los Angeles federal court. The fans that follow the case officially keep their fingers crossed that the legends will find the settlement needed.
