Jimmy Page, the guitarist of legendary rock band Led Zeppelin, is being sued for copyright infringement over the band’s hit 1969 single “Dazed and Confused”. American folk singer Jake Holmes alleges that the song was illegally sampled from his version, which he recorded and copyrighted in 1967.
There is a long and complicated history with the song, starting when Page reworked the song for fellow rock band The Yardbirds and later recorded it with Led Zeppelin. As Jake Holmes was not credited for the song at the time of its release, it is alleged that Page changed the song enough to escape a copyright infringement lawsuit by the folk singer. He apparently kept the title ‘Dazed and Confused’ but rewrote the lyrics and altered the melody to the extent that Holmes could not legally claim it was his original song.
After taking no legal action at the time bar contacting Page about the matter, Holmes has now filed a new lawsuit in United States District Court claiming copyright infringement.
Although Led Zeppelin hold a separate copyright for ‘Dazed and Confused’, Jimmy Page has been named as co-defendant. He (or his professional insurance, if he has any) will have to cover the costs of defending the allegation, or to settle the claim out of court.