I think that pretty much says enough. You make a good case... but ^^ that ^^ says all I need to say.
I've never been so upset at the fact that Zepp "stole" music or lyrics that I've went and researched it. I'm the kind of person that takes things as they are. Zepp was a great band... simple as that... regardless of where they got their inspiration... I don't think, after 30 years... it really matters... Leppelin is infinitely more popular than Spirit... maybe there's no justice to that... but I don't think it's that way on accident. I think my perspective on the situation is that it doesn't really matter how they got popular... they did... A lot of bands start out covering other peoples acts... MAYBE... JUST MAYBE... they use to cover Spirit tracks and Stairway evolved from that... who knows? like I said... I don't even care... You're perspective seems to be more based on the fact of "justice must prevail". Which is understandable... I'm not negating your points at all... (unlike the way you approach this argument)... I'm just weighing in and making a strong point...
Maybe the thing that's so great about Led Zeppelin is the fact that they managed to be more popular than any band they plagiarized... They must have done something right...
Metaphorically speaking... "If a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it... did the tree ever fall??"
If Spirit recorded Taurus... and no one heard it until after they heard Stairway... what's the big deal...??? I don't hear them crying about it.