Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” Lawsuit to Be Reheard

Sam Sodomsky
Last year’s ruling that the 2016 copyright case will get a new trial will get a further look in appeals court

In 2016, a judge ruled in favor of Led Zeppelin in a lawsuit from Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the estate of former Spirit guitarist Randy California. Skidmore claimed in his suit the intro of Zeppelin’s 1971 classic “Stairway to Heaven” was improperly inspired by Spirit’s 1968 instrumental “Taurus.” Last year, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the previous judge had “provided erroneous jury instructions” and that it would be headed back to court. Now, Led Zeppelin will get another stab at that ruling, as Law360 reporter Bill Donahue notes and Pitchfork confirms via court documents.

It was decided today (June 10) that all members of the appellate court will rehear the case, as The Hollywood Reporter notes. This means that it’s possible that the 2016 ruling in Zeppelin’s favor will remain intact, depending on the results of en banc hearings set to take place the week of September 23, 2019. The rehearing was requested by both parties, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Read 2016’s “What Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway’ Trial Says About Copyright’s Increasingly Blurred Lines” on the Pitch.

See the video.

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork