JudgeCallsLedZeppelinLawsuitLawyer'Unprofessional,Offensive'APennsylvaniafederaljudgehasorderedsanctionsagainsttheattorneypreparingtosueLedZeppelinfor"StairwaytoHeaven,"claimingthatthelawyerbehaved"inaflagrantlyunprofessionalandoffensivemanner"overthecourseofadifferentcase.AccordingtoTheHollywoodReporter,FrancisMalofiyrecentlyattractedthejudge'sconsternationwhilebringingalawsuitagainstUsherand19otherdefendantsforcopyrightinfringement.The10BestSpiritSongsThatDon'tSoundLike"StairwaytoHeaven"MalofyrepresentedasongwriternamedDanMarino,whoclaimedthathehadcreatedthebasicmelody,chordprogressionsandtempofortheUshersong"BadGirl"whileworkingwithhisformersongwritingpartnersWilliamGuiceandDanteBarton,whowerealsonamedinthesuit.AccordingtoJudgePaulDiamond'ssanctionsmemorandum,MalofiymisledGuiceintobelievingthathewasonlyawitnessinthesuitratherthanadefendant,andpersuadedGuicetosignanaffidavitadmittingtoelementsofthePlaintiff'scomplaintwithoutrepresentationfromalawyer."Malofiy'sdiscussionswithGuicearetheparadigmofbadfaithandintentionalmisconduct,"JudgeDiamondwrote,andlaterconcluded,"DefendantshaveshownclearlyandconvincinglythatAttorneyFrancisMalofiyhasacteddisgracefully:lyingtoanunsophisticated,impoverished,unrepresentedDefendant,thusconvincingthatDefendanttoexposehimself(probablybaselessly)tosubstantialliability."Moreover,thejudgesaysthatMalofiymade"sexist,abusive"remarksduringthecase,includingtellingtheotherlawyer,"Don’tbeagirlaboutthis."Healsoreportedlydeclaredthat"Usherhas$130million…I'mgoingtotakeeverypennyofit,"andtoldsomeoneelseinvolvedinthecase,"You'relikealittlekidwithyourlittlemouth."Astothecopyrightinfringementlawsuit,thejudgedidnotfindthatUsherorhisfellowdefendantsactedimproperly.Inapressrelease,Malofiyobjectedtothejudge'sconclusionsandstatedthathewas"upfrontandhonestwithMr.Guice."Inthemeantime,MalofiyhasclaimedthatLedZeppelinstoletheintrofortheir1971song"StairwaytoHeaven"fromSpirit's1968track"Taurus."MalofiysaidthathewillfileacopyrightinfringementlawsuitandseekaninjunctiontoblockthereleaseoftheLedZeppelinIVreissue.TherecentsanctionsagainstMalofiycoulddistractfromthatpursuit,however."WhetherMalofiyshouldberemovedfrompracticeisaquestionproperlyansweredinanotherforum,"JudgeDiamondwrote.
