'Stairway To Heaven' New Trial Ruling Heads To Full 9th Circuit Hearing

Full Panel Hearing

The lawsuit over "Stairway to Heaven" is headed to a hearing by the full 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which agreed to review a three-judge panel's ruling that ordered a new trial in the copyright suit against LED ZEPPELIN's JIMMY PAGE and ROBERT PLANT by the estate of RANDY CALIFORNIA, who wrote and performed "Taurus," the song by his band SPIRIT that resembles "Stairway."

The original suit alleged that PAGE and PLANT were exposed to "Taurus" when SPIRIT opened for LED ZEPPELIN at two festivals in 1969.

LED ZEPPELIN won a 2016 trial over the songs' similarities, but the three-judge panel ruled last SEPTEMBER that defects in jury instructions about whether elements of a song like notes are protected by copyright law merited a new trial. Lawyers for LED ZEPPELIN asked for the full 11-judge court to hear the case and the court agreed, setting a hearing in SEPTEMBER.

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