(RepublicanDaily.org) – The trial has begun in a case pertaining to the attempted sale of the allegedly stolen handwritten lyrics and notes to the cult classic song “Hotel California.” The defendants are accused of trying to sell the stolen notes back to their writer, Eagles frontman Don Henley.
The defendants – Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi, and Edward Kosinski, all whom have pleaded not guilty – face conspiracy charges related to the theft and attempted sale of intellectual property.
Horowitz is a former curator for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and a rare books seller, while Inciardi and Kosinski are sellers of memorabilia.
Prosecutors allege that the three attempted to sell the handwritten piece of memorabilia – along with several similar documents with other songs from the Eagles – to various auction house and buyers. Prosecutors also accuse the defendants of creating fake provenance documents and lying about where and how they procured the lyrics.
Aside from “Hotel California”, the defendants were also attempting to sell handwritten lyrics and notes to the Eagles’ hits “New Kid In Town” as well as “Life in the Fast Lane.”
Court documents state that the materials in question were allegedly stolen from Henley’s home in Malibu in the 1970’s by Ed Sanders, a writer who was at that time working on a biography for the Eagles. The materials were part of several notepads with hundreds of pages that contained handwritten lyrics of the band’s songs. Prosecutors say that Sanders eventually sold the lyrics to Horowitz in 2005 for $50,000. In 2012, Horowitz then sold the notes to Inciardi and Kosinki for $65,000.
Henley became aware of the situation when Kosinksi listed the pages of the lyrics on his memorabilia website. He then agreed to purchase the lyrics back for $8,500. However, a few years later, he found that his other notes of handwritten lyrics were being auctioned off – he was again offered the chance to buy these back, but for a much higher price. Henley refused and sought legal recourse instead.
Lawyers for the defendants say that no crime has been committed, and are attempting to mount a defense contesting Henley’s claim that the notes were stolen from his home.
Copyright 2024, RepublicanDaily.org
