Music Plagarism

Last night I listened to an interview with Robert Plant and he said Stairway to Heaven was written in isolation while the band was having a break away from civilisation in the Wales (UK) countryside and they had never heard of the band Taurus until they were contacted years later asking for royalties and signing rights. Whether this is true or not isn't relevant as the outcome will be decided in a court.

It is an interesting thing that in music there are only a limited set of notes and with as much music that has been written over the years, it is surprising that there hasn't been more inadvertent duplication already. It is common in music to find a composer saying about a new piece of music that another old song was the main influence or the inspiration of the new song. My sister is a professional musician and one of her sayings is that "old songs get reinvented and then become new songs again". She often hears new songs on the radio that sound really familiar and it turns out it is a reworking of an old song.

If judgement is settled in the favour of Taurus I think this will have repercussions through the music industry and instead of patent trolls there will be copyright trolls. Soon they will have computers searching all music databases for similar songs and analysing chord progressions so the copyright troll can contact the stake holders involved to broker a royalties deal and of course with a cut for their discovery.

Another nail in the litigation coffin

 

Zeppelin has a bad record in this area:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehwSEVbBZl4
They left out Kansas Joe McCoy's and Memphis Minnie's contribution to 'When the Levee Breaks" and Willie Dixon's to "Whole Lotta Love" also, although Memphis Minnie, Dixon and Holmes now get their due, the latter only after litigation. McCoy is still snubbed.

 

Seems like the statute of limitations would be up on that! Stairway to Heaven came out in 1971... I heard some similarities, but does not sound like they 'stole' it. Will be interesting.

 

After all the blatant plagiarism Page has pulled, it would be ironic if he got busted for the one time he didn't.

 

Don't they call that "sampling"? LOL.

Most memorable "rip off" would be Janet Jackson's "Someone to Call my Lover". It's pretty much Ventura Highway by America.

 

This is one of my favourite mashups, Sara Bareilles vs Katy Perry.

 

What about My Sweet Lord by George Harrison. It is the same melody as He's So Fine by The Chiffons and Harrison lost that one in court.
Another one is The Original Theme for Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr who was accused of copying I want a New Drug by Huey Lewis and The News which was eventually settled out of court.
Here in Australia Down Under by Men At Work were sued by Larrikin Music, copyright holders of the Australian children's song Kookaburra and Men At Work lost that one in the Supreme Court and EMI Music then had to pay royalties to Larrikin Music.
I am sure there are many more

 

Robert Plant may have had trouble remembering what actually went on in the 70's and was just talking the PR line but got confused. I don't know either way but as I mentioned it is probably irrelevant because it will end up being decided in a courtroom

If Page and Plant lose then the length of time taken to litigate will be less important in future cases due to this precedent and opening the flood gates for copyright trolls to start checking over old music

 

really, led zepplin is still litigating... some where in a box i have the 45 rpm single : stairway to gilligan's island by little roger and the goosebumps. an awesome song that led zepplin sued off the market back in the late 70's
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Roger_and_the_Goosebumps

i guess i just don't understand

 

I agree.
45 years on and a hasbeen band wants money?!
Spirit's only succesfull song 'I Got a Line on You' made it to #25 in 1968!

 

Picking Led Zeppelin as the poster child for copyright abuse is pure irony. Page's history of plagiarism from lesser known acts is well documented.

 

There are. This video makes an attempt to explain why (and I should probably warn about the brief swearing at the end, and apologize for the Union Jack dress... )

 

Thanks Mimsy........so many memories in that video

 

http://www.guitarworld.com/artists-...st-doubt-legend-stairway-heaven-origins/29279

Looks like Zeppelin may be in the clear.

 

This is very interesting and comes back to my sister's quote "In music old tunes often become new again"
It was also interesting to read about the testimony of John Paul Jones regarding Robert Plant's and Jimmy Page's account of what happened at Headley Grange in the Welsh countryside (where many Led Zeppelin albums were written) at the time Stairway to Heaven was written

 

I've been reading up on it and it may not help them much after all. On another site I visit, someone pointed out: Universal sued Nintendo over Donkey Kong, claiming copyright infringement over King Kong. It turns out they earlier won a court case with RKO pictures claiming King Kong was public domain so they could remake it. They ended up paying Nintendo punitive fees because their King Kong was public domain, so they had no case. In the same way, if Stairway to Heaven is derived from a public domain song, it too is public domain. Losing licensing rights to their biggest song would be far worse than giving Randy California writing credit, so they may settle yet again.
http://thegaminghistorian.com/universal-vs-nintendo-case/

 

One of my pet peeves is when todays music artist take a old rock n roll song and turn it into a country song or pop song.

 

Led Zep won.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainmen...rock-epic-stairway-to-heaven.html?intcmp=hpff

 

http://www.guitarworld.com/artists-...st-doubt-legend-stairway-heaven-origins/29279
Thanks to Just Playin for the link.

 

I am pleased common sense prevailed and Led Zeppelin won
If Spirit were so keen to pursue them why wait so darn long after Stairway to Heaven was released? I bet they would have let it slide if it wasn't a hit

 

Yes! The judge saw right through their "let's make a quick buck" lawsuit.

 

Yep it was always just a grubby grab for money by a band very few people have ever heard about

 

They probably went after Led Zep because the boys recently released digitally remastered songs courtesy of Page. Good time for a cash grab. I'm glad the jury saw through this money grab.

 

The original author, Randy California declined to sue them. It was relatives who inherited the bands IP.