Handwritten Hotel California lyrics at centre of unusual trial

Handwritten pages featuring early versions of the iconic rock song "Hotel California" will be at the centre of a criminal trial on Wednesday.

Glenn Horowitz, Craig Inciardi, and Edward Kosinski are charged with conspiring to sell pages from a yellow-lined pad, along with other Eagles lyrics, without proper rights, reports CNN. 

Prosecutors allege the notepad was stolen before being purchased by the defendants. All three men have pleaded not guilty.

The Manhattan district attorney's office plans to call former Eagles member Don Henley as a key witness.

The trial will feature over 80 pages of draft lyrics from the 1976 "Hotel California" album, including well-known lines like: "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave."

Horowitz, Inciardi, and Kosinski face charges of conspiracy to possess stolen property and other offences, but not theft itself.

Prosecutors must prove the documents were stolen for the charges to hold, though defence lawyers argue otherwise.

The dispute traces back to the late 1970s when writer Ed Sanders was researching a biography on the Eagles. Sanders reportedly obtained access to their archives, which included lyric-filled notepads. He later sold them to Horowitz, a rare book dealer.

Horowitz subsequently sold the lyrics to Inciardi and Kosinski, a memorabilia company owner.

Henley told a grand jury he never gave Sanders the lyrics. Defence lawyers challenge this, suggesting Henley may have voluntarily provided the lyrics.

The trial also includes manuscript pages featuring lyrics from songs like "Life in the Fast Lane" and "New Kid in Town."

"Hotel California" remains a massively popular song, with over 220 million streams in the US alone last year, and 136,000 radio plays, according to Luminate.

The album of the same name has sold 26 million copies nationwide.