Led Zeppelin cleared in 'Stairway to Heaven' copyright case

A jury has decided that Led Zeppelin did not steal &quot;Stairway to Heaven.&quot;

(Image credit: Danny Martindale/Getty Images)

published 23 June 2016

Led Zeppelin is not guilty of copyright infringement in the opening of its legendary song "Stairway to Heaven," a Los Angeles jury has decided. The band had been accused of stealing the song's introductory riffs from the band Spirit's "Taurus" in a lawsuit brought by the trust for Randy Wolf, the late writer of "Taurus."

During the trial, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, and bassist John Paul Jones all testified and recounted how they'd come up with "Stairway to Heaven" back in 1971. Though some experts contended that the two songs had "striking similarities," others said the songs just had a "common musical building block," The Associated Press reports.

Ultimately, after one final listen to both "Taurus" and "Stairway to Heaven," the jury decided there was "no substantial similarity in the extrinsic elements" of the songs," The Hollywood Reporter reports.