Appeal filed in ‘Stairway to Heaven’ IP case

BVWireIssue #167-1
August 3, 2016

Lawyers have appealed a jury decision that cleared Led Zeppelin of accusations it lifted part of another song for the intro to its classic rock anthem "Stairway to Heaven," according to a report in the Associated Press. Because the jury had found there was no infringement, it did not get to the issue of valuation—how to carve out the value of a small piece of an epic song. A prior issue of BVWire gives some insights from Michael Pellegrino (Pellegrino & Associates), a valuation expert (and musician) who specializes in intellectual property, into how this would have been determined. Depending on what happens with the appeal, this issue may be resurrected.

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