Led Zeppelin’s music publishers demand $800,000 damages

The publisher for UK rock band Led Zeppelin, music company Warner/Chappell, has demanded up to $800,000 in damages following the “Stairway to Heaven” copyright case.

The sum covers $613,000 in legal fees, as well as other additional costs the company had to pay throughout the trial, which culminated at the US District Court for the Central District of California last month.

Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, along with Warner/Chappell, were accused of stealing a guitar riff from a song called “Taurus” for their hit record “Stairway to Heaven”.

“Taurus” was written by the late Randy Wolfe, stage name Randy California, for the band Spirit.

The complaint was filed in 2014 by Michael Skidmore on behalf of Wolfe.

In a judgment handed down on June 23, a jury cleared the defendants of copyright infringement.

A spokesman from Warner/Chappell said: “If money is won in this case, it’s to be used to buy musical instruments for children who are in need in Ventura County [in California]”.

A hearing on the damages request will take place on August 8.