What's up with Led Zeppelin ?

I saw this post on another forum about Led Zeppelin...

"Zeppelin Denied Copyright For 'Houses Of The Holy'

The U.S. Copyright Office has rejected a request by members of Led Zeppelin to renew the copyright for its 1973 Atlantic album "Houses of the Holy," listing the band as owners, Billboard Bulletin reports. Instead, the Office gave the renewal to Atlantic, which has held the copyright since the recording's release and has shipped 11 million copies, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

Under current law, authors of works from that era can apply for a renewal of copyright after 30 years, for a total term of 95 years.

The Copyright Office says it returned the copyright to Atlantic because the recording's registration lists it as a work made for hire. The album predates the current Copyright Act of 1976, and therefore falls under the rules of the Copyright Act of 1909. The earlier law did not delineate categories of works made for hire; the Copyright Office's decision was therefore based solely on the registration description provided by Atlantic. Categories of works made for hire were outlined in the updated 1976 Copyright Act.

"Houses of the Holy," the follow-up to the group's landmark fourth album, spent two weeks at No. 1 on The Billboard 200. It featured the singles "Dyer Maker" (No. 20) and "Over the Hills and Far Away" (No. 51).

The surviving members of Led Zeppelin and the wife of the late John Bonham applied for the renewal in December 2001. Due to postal impediments following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Copyright Office didn't process the request for renewal for five months, and issued the judgment May 31.

According to sources, the ownership issue will now be negotiated between Led Zeppelin's lawyers and Atlantic. Representatives for the label could not be reached for comment by deadline.


-- Bill Holland, Washington, D.C."


What is the current state of their catalog...ownership rights-wise...and does anyone have anymore information about their lawsuit.

One of the online retailers is listing a 4 DVD live set from 1969...Plant has already stated...in a Billboard interview...that Page found some rarities from that tour, but wasn't specific.

What's up with these guys ? Any inside information ?

 

A left cross:
Led Zeppelin is suing Atalntic records for not paying songwriting royalty increases per their contract.

A punch to the gut: They dangle product over Atlantics head (2 disc Led Zeppelin IV special edition, 4 Cd box of live stuff) hoping to get Atlantic to negotiate.

Watch out Zep - oooh, you got nailed with an upercut - Atalantic finds contractual eveidence that HOTH was a work for hire and they own it.

fights not over....

 

That's interesting that they have a 4 CD box set of live material (that hopefully will be released)

 

Yum...I hope if it's released, it'll sound as good as the remasters!

 

Plant said it was 1969 "rarities" for DVD...I'm wondering, if that it's outside the Atlantic contract, and The Boys are going to release it on their own.

In other words, another punch to the gut by The Boys "against" Atlantic ?

 

Well...
I don't know if there was ever any intention to release these aside from having something "in the works" to force Atlantic to negotiate. At least it seems that way to me. Now - with Atlantic actually being declared the "owner" of HOTH, one has to wonder how much of Zeppelins recorded works they actually do own.

On the other hand... Zep was not suing for recording royalties, but songwriting royalties, so maybe they have always been aware of the ownership status of the recordings. In any case, i don't think anything new will appear until they achieve the rates they want.

And Atlantic doesn't seem to want to negotiate...

 

Those songwriting royalties are more lucrative than the recording rights, these days !