The Originality Of The Song 'Stairway To Heaven'

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The highly publicized battle over "Stairway to Heaven," which goes to trial on June 14th, has the potential to open the floodgates for copyright litigation. The originality of the song's first verse – the haunting arpeggiated chord progression hailed by music historians and classic rock-fans alike – is the crux of the suit. Seventies-era L.A. rock band Spirit brought a suit against Zeppelin, alleging that "Stairway" infringed upon its song "Taurus." While Spirit may be lesser-known, the plaintiff has so far proven that after they toured with Zeppelin in 1969, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant would reasonably have heard "Taurus" before recording "Stairway" in 1970. And the two works are – as copyright experts say – "substantially similar."
In April,

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