Lawyers arguing whether Led Zeppelin copied the opening to its classic song ‘Stairway to Heaven’ will present closing arguments in Los Angeles today, making their cases before the decision goes to a jury, according to news reports.

The copyright infringement trial has examined claims by the US rock band Spirit that Led Zeppelin lifted part of its 1968 song ‘Taurus’ in ‘Stairway to Heaven’, which was released in 1971.

Michael Skidmore, trustee for the estate of the late Spirit guitarist Randy Wolfe, sued the British rockers for damages and songwriting credit potentially worth millions in future royalties.

Skidmore claims Led Zeppelin heard ‘Taurus’ when the two bands played the same circuits in the late 1960s, and says similarities between the two songs make the origin of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ clear.

Surviving Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant testified in the trial that Plant and Page wrote ‘Stairway to Heaven’ on their own.

In testimony yesterday, Plant said of ‘Taurus’, "I didn't remember it then, and I don't remember it now," according to Rolling Stone.

In court papers, lawyers for Led Zeppelin on Monday asked Judge R Gary Klausner to throw out the case because Skidmore had not shown evidence required to claim copyright infringement.

Klausner did not rule on the motion yesterday. Instead, he indicated that the case would go to the jury after closing arguments today, according to Rolling Stone.

- dpa