A jury has dismissed claims that Led Zeppelin plagiarised a sixties instrumental by the band Spirit when writing ‘Stairway To Heaven‘.
After a week of testimony in a Los Angeles court, the jury came to the conclusion that the song in question, ‘Taurus‘, ‘was not intrinsically similar’ to the Led Zep track which has become one of the staple anthems of the 1970s rock era.
However Spirit’s lawyer Francis Malofiy, who was acting on behalf of Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the band’s late member Randy Wolfe, has labelled the decision ‘not legally correct or logically sound’.
“Led Zeppelin won on a technicality,” he’s told Rolling Stone. “They should be proud of that. The jury’s verdict is disappointing, but largely determined by one ruling of the court: Plaintiff was not permitted to play the album recording of ‘Taurus,’ which Jimmy Page had in his record collection.”
“This ruling, which limited Plaintiff to using the sheet music deposited in the Copyright Office, effectively tied our hands behind our back. Needless to say, we do not believe it is legally correct or logically sound.”
For their part, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page have said they are grateful to ‘put to rest questions’ about the origins of the song.