Jury verdict tossed in Stairway to Heaven copyright suit
A U.S. appeals court has thrown out a jury's verdict that Led Zeppelin did not copy an obscure 1960s instrumental for the intro to its classic 1971 rock anthem Stairway to Heaven.
Jury had ruled in 2016 that Led Zeppelin did not lift the riff in question
A U.S. appeals court has thrown out a jury's verdict that Led Zeppelin did not copy an obscure 1960s instrumental for the intro to its classic 1971 rock anthem Stairway to Heaven.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Friday that a lower court judge had provided wrong jury instructions.
It sent the case back to the court for a new trial.
The lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles claimed the song's famous riff was copied from the song Taurus by the band Spirit.
A trustee for the estate of late guitarist Randy Wolfe from the band Spirit claims Led Zeppelin stole the recognizable riff from the song Taurus.
A phone message left with an attorney for Led Zeppelin was not immediately returned.