The attorneys for Led Zeppelin have asked the judge in the “Stairway to Heaven” copyright infringement case to end the trial before it resumes on Tuesday.
They filed a motion today (Monday) that cites a number of reasons for the request, starting with the argument that plaintiff Michael Skidmore doesn’t actually own the copyright for the Spirit instrumental “Taurus.” (Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are accused of stealing the opening part of “Stairway to Heaven” from that song.) Skidmore is the trustee of the estate of Spirit’s late guitarist Randy California, who wrote “Taurus.” The original 1967 copyright hasn’t been entered into evidence, only a 1994 renewal of it; Zep’s lawyer says the song is owned by Hollenbeck Music.
The motion also claims that Skidmore has failed to prove that Page and Plant had access to Spirit’s music or that the two songs are musically similar enough that any infringement was involved.
If the judge doesn’t grant the motion, the trial continues tomorrow (Tuesday) with the defense calling more witnesses to testify on its behalf. (The Hollywood Reporter)