Led Zeppelin Ask Judge To End Stairway To Heaven Trial

(hennemusic) Lawyers for Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and Jimmy Page filed a motion in Los Angeles federal court on Monday asking the judge in the "Stairway To Heaven" copyright infringement case to decide the outcome now, over a jury, before it resumes today.

According to Courthouse News Service, the pair claim that during the first four days of trial, former rock journalist Michael Skidmore - representing Spirit guitarist Randy California (Wolfe) as an estate trustee -
failed to establish ownership of "Taurus," the 1968 song at the center of the lawsuit.

The duo argue the ownership of "Taurus" belongs to Lou Adler's Hollenbeck Music, while also claiming that the plaintiffs have not successfully demonstrated that the Zeppelin members had heard the song before writing "Stairway", while two music experts failed to present "admissible evidence of striking or substantial similarity" between the two songs.

"Plaintiff rested and failed to carry his burden of proof on multiple issues," read the court filing on Monday. "Accordingly, judgment should be entered in defendants' favor. At a minimum, judgment should be entered in their favor on plaintiff's claims for actual damages and for profits." Read more here.

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