The guitar riff Led Zeppelin used in the 1971 classic ‘Stairway to Heaven’ differed substantially from one the English band was accused of stealing from the US group Spirit, a jury found in a copyright infringement trial in Los Angeles.

Led Zeppelin’s lead singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page must face a US jury trial over whether they stole opening chords for their 1971 classic ‘Stairway to Heaven’.

A trial is needed to decide if Led Zeppelin's Stairway To Heaven copies its opening notes from a song performed by the rock band Spirit, a judge has ruled.