"STAIRWAY" TO A
JURY TRIAL

"Stairway to Heaven’s" opening guitar motif is similar enough to Spirit’s “Taurus,” a U.S. District Court judge has ruled, that a jury will decide whether Robert Plant and Jimmy Page pilfered the riff.

The Skidmore vs. Led Zeppelin trial is scheduled for May 10 in Los Angeles.

Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the late Randy California, Spirit's guitarist and the composer of "Taurus," filed the suit in May 2014. He contended Page may have been inspired to write "Stairway" after hearing "Taurus" while the bands toured together in 1968 and 1969.

District Judge Gary Klausner, writing like he’s studying music at USC in his spare time, opined “While it is true that a descending chromatic four-chord progression is a common convention that abounds in the music industry, the similarities here transcend this core structure."

"What remains is a subjective assessment of the 'concept and feel' of two works ... a task no more suitable for a judge than for a jury."

Claims were dismissed against Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Warner Music Group Corp. The trustee can get only 50% percent of any damages awarded.