Seven bars the same; I think that’s the test. They stole it.
Some folks would have felt honored to have been considered worthy of “ripping” by an act that caught on like wildfire.
Some take umbrage and sue.
Usually the suing doesn’t take this long, however. Isn’t there a statute of limitations even for copyright actions?
It is not stolen. It’s an arpeggiated version of a common chord progression ( im - i min/maj7 - im7 - IV7 ). “This Masquerade” by Leon Russell uses this movement. So does George Harrison’s ‘Something’, as well as ‘My Funny Valentine” and many others. You can’t copyright a chord progression.