Led Zeppelin Taken To Court Over Alleged Plagiarism
Thursday, 01 July 2010
Written by Jon Stickler
Heavy rock legends Led Zeppelin are being sued for copyright infringement relating to the group’s classic track ‘Dazed and Confused’.
Led Zeppelin are regarded as one of the most high ranking (and loudest!) bands of all time. Over forty years since the original recordings, their heavy rock and blues continues to influence and inspire new bands today with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page being hailed as one of the best frontman and lead guitarist combinations ever to grace a stage.
Led Zeppelin had a penchant for beefing up bluesy, folk lyrics with thunderous drums, belting guitar riffs and howling vocals, however over the years the band have faced many a law suit over who actually wrote some of their songs.
Blues legend Willie Dixon previously took the band to court over the epic track ‘Whole Lotta Love’ which Dixon claimed that Zepp’s version resembled one of his own songs. Winning the legal battle, Willie Dixon now features on Whole Lotta Love's track credits.
Now a new case has raised its ugly head with Zeppelin’s 1969 show-stopping track ‘Dazed and Confused’ being linked to folk singer Jack Holmes, a man who’s song of the same name was written in 1967, with Holmes supporting the Yardbirds – Jimmy Page’s old band - in Greenwich Village the same year. Word has it that the track impressed Jimmy so much that the Yardbirds began to play it during their own live shows.
Although never put onto record by the Yardbirds, with the later formation of Led Zeppelin, the track featured on the group’s self titled LP credited to Jimmy Page. Now, forty years on, folk singer Jack Holmes is claiming that the song is his and has begun a court battle over the copyright.
As it has been over forty years since the recording, Holmes is only eligible to claim for damages as well as royalties for the last three years and, according to The Guardian newspaper, the singer is asking for damages of £100,000 per infringement of the copyright.
With the track featuring on both Led Zeppelin’s 2007 compilation album ‘Mothership’ and the 2008 ‘Definitive Collection’, the total figure set to be claimed by Holmes is around £666,000! There are no details as to why Jack Holmes waited so long to bring his case to light and with the court battle still ongoing, Jimmy Page is yet to respond to the claims.
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