Led Zeppelin emerges victor in 'Stairway to Heaven' plagiarism case

KEVIN MAZUR / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

British rock band Led Zeppelin on Monday effectively won a long-running legal battle over claims it stole the opening guitar riff from its signature 1971 song "Stairway to Heaven".

The band, one of the best-selling rock acts of all time, was handed victory after the US Supreme Court declined to take up the case, meaning that a March 2020 decision by a US appeals court in Led Zeppelin's favour will stand.

Lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page had been accused in the six-year-long case of lifting the riff - one of the best-known openings in rock music - from a song called Taurus, written by the late Randy Wolfe of the US band Spirit.

Wolfe, who performed as Randy California, drowned in 1997, and the case was brought by a trustee for his estate. It has been one of the music industry's most closely watched copyright cases, potentially exposing Plant and Page to millions of dollars in damages.

Led Zeppelin was the opening act for Spirit on a US tour in 1968, but Page testified in a 2016 jury trial in Los Angeles that he had not heard Taurus until recently.

The Los Angeles jury found the riff they were accused of stealing was not intrinsically similar to the opening chords of Stairway to Heaven.

Francis Malofiy, who represented Wolfe's estate, said on Monday that Led Zeppelin "won on a technicality" and said that the lawsuit had accomplished its goal.

"Today, the world knows that: 1) Randy California wrote the introduction to 'Stairway to Heaven'; 2) Led Zeppelin are the greatest art thieves of all time; and 3) Courts are as imperfect as rock stars," Malofiy said in a statement.

Led Zeppelin has yet to comment on the conclusion of the case. 

More from Entertainment

Coming Up on Dubai Eye

  • The Business Breakfast

    6:00am - 10:00am

    The Business Breakfast is the day’s must listen for the UAE’s business leaders, and those who aspire to be.

  • The Agenda

    10:00am - 1:00pm

    Broadcasting every weekday, Georgia Tolley goes beyond the headlines to speak to government ministers, decision makers, analysts and local experts to find out how the news will impact those of us living in the UAE.

BUSINESS BREAKFAST LATEST

On Dubai Eye

  • Is There Sufficient House Supply In UAE

    Dubai’s current population is more than double compared to almost twenty years ago, which now stands at 3.7 million. Lots of families are also moving to the UAE now. So what does it mean for the property market?

  • Noon's First Female Delivery Driver

    Glory Ehirim Nkiruka is Noon’s first ever female delivery driver. In her first ever interview, she explained why she loves her job, despite the heat!