LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Members of rock band Led Zeppelin and their music publisher have lost a bid to recoup almost $800,000 in legal fees, following their victory in a much-publicized plagiarism trial earlier this year.
According to the BBC, R Gary Klausner, the judge overseeing the case, said that Jimmie Page and Robert Plant, along with their publishing company Warner/Chappell were responsible for almost $800,000 in legal fees after ruling that the lawsuit was not frivolous.
Zep had been sued over their iconic hit "Stairway To Heaven" which the estate of Spirit Singer Randy Wolfe alleged had been borrowed from Spirit's song "Taurus." However, a jury earlier this year found that Taurus "was not intrinsically similar" to Stairway's opening.
Following the verdict, Page, Plant and Warner/Chappell had sought to recoup $793,000, with their lawyer alleging that the lawsuit amounted to a 'shakedown' of the group by Wolfe's estate, but Judge Klausner ruled that there was no evidence that the state estate of Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe "harbored nefarious motives" the BBC said. – Staff Writers
