Stairway to Heaven? Or to Court?

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
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Copyright has been a big topic in 2014. From revising the U.S. Copyright Act to legislation regarding orphan works, lawyers have been busy keeping up with the changes. But the most recent news may take the cake. The heirs of Randy Craig Wolfe, who founded Spirit in the 1960s, have sued Led Zeppelin for copying the opening of the hit Stairway to Heaven. Of note is the rock-n-roll timing – it took four decades for this complaint to be filed. Of even more interest is the cause of action for “Falsification of Rock-n-Roll History.” The IBJ posted a copy of the complaint here. Several articles are evaluating the case; Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s is here.

 

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