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. Wolfe, who performed as Randy California, drowned in 1997, and the case was brought by a trustee for his estate. 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. Led Zeppelin has yet to comment on the conclusion of the case.

Source: CBC News October 06, 2020 13:34 UTC