Charles J. White Posted May 25, 2014 Share Posted May 25, 2014 Neither song sounds the same I never understood how people confuse the 2 riifs, Stairway is going in the opposite direction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksgemini Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Geez Did this Spirit dude need 42 years to come to this (false) conclusion? In the long run I don't believe it will blemish or damage LZ. Just hope it doesnt hold up the remasters project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the chase Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 Methinks this Mark Andes fellow is trying to cash in on anything he can get his grubby hands on - now he's suing the RORHOF for using his image during Heart's induction last year despite he and another member not being themselves inducted. Why wait a year to sue?http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/heart-members-sue-rock-roll-hall-fame-article-1.1802176 This is very cheesy... More than the STH lawsuit but that's a close second. I respect the late Randy California a great deal. He died a hero. But his name does not deserve to be listed in the credits... There are many other artists that deserve credit from Led Zeppelin but Randy California and especially Mark Andes are not among them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zafreth Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 This is very cheesy... More than the STH lawsuit but that's a close second. I respect the late Randy California a great deal. He died a hero. But his name does not deserve to be listed in the credits... There are many other artists that deserve credit from Led Zeppelin but Randy California and especially Mark Andes are not among them.. Exactly and furthermore, Why Randy did not sued LZ in 1971?? why they (Spirit) and Randy did not sued in 1993 with the Marino remasters? why they wait until 2014 and the rerelease of the album? the answer is MONEY nothing more and nothing less, shame on you Mark Andes and Co.!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zafreth Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 And i like Spirit a lot but fortunately their music and the way the think are in my book, diferent things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarletMacaw Posted May 26, 2014 Share Posted May 26, 2014 I had not listened to Spirit's tune in quite some time. I had dinner with friends last night and decided to come home and give another listen. As a paralegal, I feel the suit will be dismissed. Just found the attached article.... http://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverherzfeld/2014/05/21/spirit-v-led-zeppelin-analysis-of-the-stairway-to-heaven-infringement-lawsuit/ I agree with you and think the lawyer who wrote this article is wrong. I've listened to all of these songs and there is no comparison between what happened with Whole Lotta Love, Dazed and Confused, etc. I doubt highly that Zep will settle this lawsuit and doubt even more that they would grant Randy California a writing credit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wilkinson Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Never heard the Sprit song before this week HAve to say that I do not find the song similar at all. Sure there is a decending chromatic guitar arpeggio but nothing else, and that particular style of music was in existence WAY before either of the two songs. Smacks nicely of money making to my ears. Best wishes John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Print the accusation on Page One...bury the retraction on Page 12. Unfortunately that's what will happen even when this lawsuit is dismissed. All people will remember is that Led Zeppelin was accused of stealing "Stairway to Heaven" and not that they were absolved of all such claims. Another sad side effect to all this is the animosity towards Randy California and Spirit that isn't warranted. Spirit was a good band and Randy California a good guitarist...my dad had a few of their albums so I had heard "Taurus" before "Stairway" came out. Save your ire for Mark Andes and this Philly lawyer...they're the villains in this saga. I also don't get why they're trying to get an injunction against the release of these box sets. "Stairway" has nothing to do with the first three albums, so why should these first three album remasters be held up? It shows how truly ignorant Mark Andes and this lawyer scum (I refuse to dignify him by using his name) are and what a blatant extortion fraud this lawsuit is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperDave Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Well put Strider! Not sure if they're trying to get an injunction on the first three box sets (probably can't do that as they come out next Tuesday) but perhaps on the Led Zep IV box in the Fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Historian Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 All I know is, I've given a listen to Taurus - with an open mind. Besides three or four similar notes, it sounds nothing like Stairway To Heaven. It's pretty much impossible to write such a lengthy piece of intricate music from a mere three note similarity. Sadly, bandwagon Led Zep haters will use this as another example, why Zeppelin is a fraud. Isn't it pityful to think that way, and deprive yourself of such great music- over ignorance? Good luck to Page and Co. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave to zep Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 If Led Zep lose the case, perhaps they could recoup some funds by suing Good Charlotte ..... Dancing Days, anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hitchslap Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 I had not listened to Spirit's tune in quite some time. I had dinner with friends last night and decided to come home and give another listen. As a paralegal, I feel the suit will be dismissed. Just found the attached article.... http://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverherzfeld/2014/05/21/spirit-v-led-zeppelin-analysis-of-the-stairway-to-heaven-infringement-lawsuit/ I really hope you are going for some sort of comic relief with your statement. It is the professional equivalency of saying that because you took a Physics course in college that you are sufficiently competent to refute Lawrence Krauss' criticisms of string theory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melcórë Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 (edited) The representatives have officially declared war on Led Zeppelin -- the suit has been filed. I have this to say: F*ck Spirit. Edited June 3, 2014 by Melcórë Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 This just in. http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-06-03/stairway-to-heaven-lawsuit-demands-jimmy-pages-casette-tapes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarletMacaw Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I really hope you are going for some sort of comic relief with your statement. It is the professional equivalency of saying that because you took a Physics course in college that you are sufficiently competent to refute Lawrence Krauss' criticisms of string theory. So I guess we should just throw out our trial by jury system? I mean it relies on ordinary people to make sense of complicated legal arguments. I guess the US Constitution is crap then. I am continually amazed by these type of comments and why they are allowed here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lif Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 So I guess we should just throw out our trial by jury system? I mean it relies on ordinary people to make sense of complicated legal arguments. I guess the US Constitution is crap then. I am continually amazed by these type of comments and why they are allowed here. In hitchslap's defense, this is a forum thread about a lawsuit... but I have to say, I was taken aback by hitchslap's comment, too. Paralegals can get to know as much about the law as attorneys do, since it's the paralegals who end up doing most of the day-to-day work in a law office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glyn Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Here's the actual court filing... http://www.scribd.com/doc/227721148/Stairway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropDown Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I find it hilarious that the plaintiffs specified the object of litigation with the LZ font. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth and beauty Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 The whole suit - and the use of that font - is absolutely shameless; in some legal jurisdictions perhaps the use of that kind of cheap but flamboyant provocation might backfire. Wishful thinking perhaps. (On a more cheerful note - who knew that Jimmy and JPJ shared the same postcode ? What an opportunity for collaboration ! And I'd heard it was Robbie Williams moving in next door to JP.... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropDown Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 The whole suit - and the use of that font - is absolutely shameless; in some legal jurisdictions perhaps the use of that kind of cheap but flamboyant provocation might backfire. Wishful thinking perhaps. (On a more cheerful note - who knew that Jimmy and JPJ shared the same postcode ? What an opportunity for collaboration ! And I'd heard it was Robbie Williams moving in next door to JP.... ) How have you been, T&B? Yep, that outright use of their font might backfire on them - is it perhaps that they subconsciously KNOW they've got a lost cause on their hands? BTW, I always thought Jonesy lived out in the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glyn Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 (On a more cheerful note - who knew that Jimmy and JPJ shared the same postcode ? What an opportunity for collaboration ! And I'd heard it was Robbie Williams moving in next door to JP.... Page and Jones are listed at the same address. Whomever attempted to black out the addresses did so poorly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DropDown Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 The ultimate irony of this total waste of paper is the "lawyer's" signature - adding a star, really? No wonder he risks being disbarred. The wording is dreadful to say the least, considering that this is supposed to be a legal document - it looks as if someone went on the Internet, pastiched together what ever s/he could find, and presented a case. I hope it gets thrown out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zafreth Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I read the document, my opinion from the legal point of view, is that the infrigement of copyright, will make no mood to judge that they are equal according to Randy's attorney, also no evidence from the point of view musical or make a direct comparison of notes and arpeggios, dedicated only to say they are equal with subjective arguments, devoid of any probative value.also talks as if the whole song are of the copyright infrigement, when only it comes to chords, arpeggios which are public domain BTW.from an advertising point of view, it is a masterstroke to LZ, as in the popular imagination will stay that Zepp "stole" the initial part of Taurus, although the plaintiff itself is inappropriate and void. i insist, if the attorney do not demostrate to the jury from a musical point of view, that "Taurus" and "STW" are similar, the plaintiff is going to be dissmised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lif Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Judges generally take court proceedings very seriously. Contempt of court is up to the judge to identify, too. But I bet the the attorney doesn't care about what a judge thinks. He is no doubt going to get paid by the client (Randy California's estate) no matter what, and like any successful ambulance chaser, he'll get more clients to file lawsuits for after the notoriety of this case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truth and beauty Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Hi DropDown - I'm good thanks ! - you? You just have to hope that in a world of obnoxious lawyers who overplay their hand, there might be judges ready to slap them down for it. And there's every reason to believe that Zep's lawyers will also be ready to slap them down too. Yes I think Jonesy DOES live out in the country, though also I thought possibly has a place in nearby Acton ... but that would certainly not have the same postcode so that's just one inaccuracy on their deposition. Not being a US lawyer, it's interesting that the document is drawn up to emphasise their US links wherever possible, using US business addresses, citing Robert's primary address in Texas and also citing Jonesy and Jimmy as also living at times in the US. Those claims and others are hedged with "on information and belief" : in other words, they don't know much of it for sure, and in the rush to cobble this stuff together they're just making assertions. Would love to know if someone on this thread is an expert in music copyright case law. Someone has already said you can't copyright a chord progression. With the publication of that document we are already into the technicalities ! Need expert commentary ! Can anyone in the US help on this guy's request for a jury? The whole exercise is so motivated by cynicism and publicity seeking, and I wonder if the jury request is part of that? Would it lead to more publicity in covering the hearing? Would it be mean it could be televised? I'd imagine that a jury would not be helpful: they would surely be more susceptible to this idiot's theatrics and less able to handle complex copyright arguments... But there is every reason to think that Zep's lawyers have it all in hand and will wipe the floor with this whole case. Bring it on. And surrounded as I am by a family of Harry Potter fans, I can't help abbreviating this guy's name to Malfoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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