A ruling Friday from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will have the band face a retrial to determine whether or not "Stairway to Heaven" infringes on the song "Taurus" by Spirit.
Zeppelin prevailed in a controversial 2016 trial, but the appellate justices ruled that the jury in that case was improperly instructed about unprotectable music elements and improperly instructed on originality. "Taurus" was not played in court because it was copyrighted before sound recordings -- as opposed to songs -- were covered under federal law.
The Ninth Circuit held that the recording should have been played for the purpose of demonstrating Zeppelin's access to the song.
The Zeppelin camp has not responded publicly to the decision. There is no indication when this trial will be held.
Spirit is not the only act to go after Zeppelin for copyright infringement. They've been sued over "The Lemon Song," which was derived from Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor." That case was settled out of court. Another blues legend, Willie Dixon, settled with Zeppelin over "Whole Lotta Love," which was similar to his "You Need Love." There has also been debate over who wrote "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Dazed and Confused," which, like the other two songs, were also settled out of court.