Stairway to litigation – Led Zeppelin prevails in copyright case

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Abstract: The copyright infringement case involving Led Zeppelin’s classic rock anthem “Stairway to Heaven” may finally be over. In finding in favor of the band, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed some of its long-standing precedent — and this could significantly impact other copyright cases. This article reviews the appellate decision and its determination not to use the inverse ratio rule. A short sidebar covers the court’s decision that a deposit copy limited the scope of the copyright under the 1909 Copyright Act. Skidmore v. Led Zeppelin, Nos. 16-56057, -56287, March 9, 2020, 9th Cir.