Led Zeppelin will never launch plagiarism lawsuit - Jimmy Page

jimmy page
No action: Jimmy Page (Image credit: Getty)

Jimmy Page has insisted that Led Zeppelin would never launch a plagiarism lawsuit against another artist – even though there have been times when they could have.

The guitarist can’t discuss the issue in depth because the legal battle over classic track Stairway To Heaven is the subject of an appeal, and may return to court.

A number of Led Zeppelin songs have been subject to ownership claims over the years, and the writing credits on several have been changed as a result.

Page tells the Telegraph: “I do know there’s a lot of music where Led Zeppelin has been leant on. We didn’t do anything about it – and I wouldn’t want to either.”

He cites the example of a bossa nova beat and says: “How would you define bossa nova? It was a whole jazz genre and it all starts with the beat.

“How far would the bossa nova movement have got in a corporate world today? It’s really disturbing.”

Page has said on many occasions that he’s aiming to return to performing live again, and he predicts that it’ll happen next year.

“I’m involved in all things musical – it’s all consuming, even if it doesn’t manifest as a record or a concert,” he argues. “I thought I would be playing by now, but certain things got delayed, other things came in the way. So I’m a little bit behind.”

He remains proud of his band’s legacy, including latest archive release The Complete BBC Sessions. “Led Zeppelin isn’t done yet, quite clearly, because every year since 1968 there’s been new fans,” he says.

“The re-releases have more than doubled the amount of Led Zeppelin work out there. I wanted it done authoritatively, because I was the one writing the stuff, I was the producer and mixer.

“I don’t think it’s any more weird than writing your autobiography.”

Listen to Led Zeppelin talk about their BBC Sessions

Freelance Online News Contributor

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.

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