Led Zeppelin won 'Stairway to Heaven' lawsuit

Led Zeppelin won 'Stairway to Heaven' lawsuit

Rock legends Led Zeppelin are the winners in the "Stairwat to heaven" lawsuit claiming that the iconic guitar riff in the song was copied from Spirit's 1968 instrumental "Taurus". After a week's worth of testimony and arguments, the jury came back with its verdict in a case that's been decades in the making.

The jury - featuring eight California citizens - dropped its verdict saying that there is no substantial similarity in the extrinsic elements of "Taurus" and "Stairway to Heaven". The decision came after the jury took one last listen of both songs.

After the verdict, Page and Plant put out a joint statement:

We are grateful for the jury's conscientious service and pleased that it has ruled in our favor, putting to rest questions about the origins of 'Stairway to Heaven' and confirming what we have known for 45 years," they said. "We appreciate our fans' support, and look forward to putting this legal matter behind us.

Warner Music also commented:

At Warner Music Group, supporting our artists and protecting their creative freedom is paramount. We are pleased that the jury found in favor of Led Zeppelin, re-affirming the true origins of 'Stairway to Heaven.' Led Zeppelin is one of the greatest bands in history, and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant are peerless songwriters who created many of rock's most influential and enduring songs.