Spirit was a well-regarded 60’s band that opened for Led Zeppelin. Now, Spirit is suing Led Zeppelin for copyright infringement over the song “Stairway To Heaven,” despite the passage of time.
As discussed in our previous blog, the Supreme Court’s decision in Petrella v. MGM (aka the Raging Bull case) effectively elongated the statute of limitations on copyright, albeit barring recovery of damages going more than three years back . That still is likely a lot of $$$. The internet speaks on this and loudly. Comments on Spirit’s song, “Taurus,” range from “this is a common cord progression in European folk music” to “the Hotel California has the same cord progression” to (of course) “this is a rip off.” Trial is set for May, with the trial court cautioning against “punishment” going back eons. I look for the trial court to see a motion to continue the trial until the 9th Circuit speaks on the “Blurred Lines” case, which resulted in substantial damages.