The Beach Boys took legal action last year

It was ruled that the band failed to prove that Roy Sciacca and Allan Gaba stole or illegally acquired the items.

The group sued for $20m (�10.1m) last year after they discovered up to 25 boxes of material were missing.

Mr Sciacca counter-sued the Beach Boys, contending he bought the items at a warehouse auction in the 1980s.

"This has really been a difficult time for him," said Mr Sciacca's lawyer after the case was thrown out.

"He's a big collector of memorabilia, and to have the Beach Boys making these kinds of allegations against him has just really, really interfered with his ability to do business."

The group's lawyer was not available for comment.

Auction cancelled

The Beach Boys hits include Surfin' USA and God Only Knows

The Beach Boys had a string of hit singles and albums, rivalling The Beatles' commercial and critical success in the 1960s.

According to their legal case, filed last year, the band stored instruments, sheet music, photos, contracts and other items in Mr Gaba's North Hollywood warehouse.

In 1994, they decided to clear out the warehouse but claimed Mr Gaba had removed 13 to 25 boxes of their memorabilia without permission.

In October 2005, Mr Sciacca contacted UK-based auction house Cooper Owen and attempted to put the items up for sale, the legal action stated.

The sale, which included the original arrangement sheets for Good Vibrations and God Only Knows, both with handwritten notes by songwriter Brian Wilson, was cancelled half-an-hour before it had been due to start.