#16 Larry Iser Interview: Led Zeppelin, "Stairway to Heaven" On Trial
The Not Old - Better Show
Paul Vogelzang
4.7 • 106 Ratings
🗓️ 17 June 2016
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
LED ZEPPELIN ON TRIAL FOR CHORD THEFT: WHO OWNS THE CHORDS???
"Stairway to Heaven" is considered one of the most widely heard compositions in rock history and is the signature song of Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page said the song "crystallized the essence of the band." Well, the band is accused of stealing the opening chords for their 1971 hit from another song.
That song, "Taurus," written in 1967 by the band Spirit are similar enough to let a jury decide whether Plant and Page were liable for copyright infringement.
Attorney Larry Iser, Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert, who is not connected with the Led Zeppelin case, but specializes in the area of intellectual property law, and routinely advises his clients on matters concerning copyright, fair-use, clearances, and right of publicity. Larry Iser has represented the Beatles and Michael Jackson, Jackson Browne, and Crosby Stills and Nash.
Mr Iser is well published on the subject of copyright infringement and just yesterday, June 16, 2016 wrote in Forbes: 'Hamilton' And Copyright: Lin-Manuel Miranda Had His Eyes On Music History.'
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You know those chords. |
| 0:05.0 | those chords. |
| 0:09.0 | Now I'm going to play a second song that you might be a little bit more unfamiliar with. What you're listening to is the comparison of two songs. And while you're very familiar with one of those and probably |
| 0:38.0 | not familiar with the other, today's story is a familiar one. A band plays a bit of music that sounds a lot like another |
| 0:46.7 | song. A debate ensues. But in this case the band is Led Zeppelin and the song is of course |
| 0:54.7 | Stairway to Heaven a mega hit so popular it's been ubiquitous in bars and on the radio for decades |
| 1:03.0 | Welcome to the Not Old Better Show. |
| 1:05.0 | I'm your host, Paul Vogelzang. |
| 1:07.0 | Today, we're going to talk about those two songs. |
| 1:12.0 | One vastly more famous, as is the band playing it than the other, but together |
| 1:17.0 | both are in a heated court battle over stairway to heaven on trial for cord theft. |
| 1:25.0 | Stairway to Heaven is considered one of the most widely heard compositions in rock history |
| 1:29.7 | and is the signature song of Led Zeppelin. Jimmy Page said the song crystallized the |
| 1:34.6 | essence of the band. Well, the band is accused of stealing the opening |
| 1:39.5 | chords for their |
| 1:45.0 | song, song, you just heard those chords |
| 1:48.0 | from the other song by the band's spirit. |
| 1:50.0 | The name of that song is Taurus. |
| 1:52.0 | That song was done in 1967. |
| 1:55.0 | There's so much a dispute right now |
| 1:57.0 | that a jury is deciding whether Robert Plant |
| 2:00.0 | and Jimmy Page and the band Led Zeppelin are liable for copyright infringement. |
... |
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