10 Songs That Led To Massive Lawsuits

One of the most famous bands of all time, Led Zeppelin have more than a few recognisable tunes. A riff so popular that it has become forbidden in guitar stores around the globe, 'Stairway To Heaven' may be the most famous of all and it is instantly identifiable by its opening.

This level of fame must have been hard to stomach for the band members of Spirit, who believed their song 'Taurus' was ripped off by Zeppelin. 'Taurus' was released in 1968 and 'Stairway' was released three years later. The bands toured together before the latter song was written, giving the band members of Spirit a reason to believe that Jimmy Page and Robert Plant saw them perform 'Taurus' live.

Interestingly, the lawsuit that was eventually made against Zeppelin for this alleged copyright infringement wasn't made by a member of Spirit. The writer of 'Taurus', Randy Wolfe, Spirit's guitarist, passed away in 1997. The lawsuit was filed by a journalist named Michael Skidmore on behalf of the Randy Craige Wolfe Trust. After becoming a co-trustee in 2006, Skidmore took legal action in 2014. The jury ruled in Zeppelin's favour in 2016 but a re-trial was ordered by a three-judge panel from the ninth circuit in 2018. Skidmore lost again.

It appears as though the decision hinged on the type of copyright act that covered 'Taurus'. Skidmore's legal team wished to play a recording of the song for the jury but this request was denied. 'Taurus' was registered under the 1909 copyright act, which only covers sheet music. The 1976 copyright act later allowed sound recordings to act as musical compositions. It is unfortunate for Skidmore that 'Taurus' only registered a single page of sheet music.