The legal battle over Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused" has ended, with Jimmy Page settling the case brought by songwriter Jake Holmes, Ultimate Classic Rock reported.
Holmes filed a lawsuit against both Page and Sony Pictures in May, accusing them of copyright infringement and breach of contract. According to the complaint, two early live performances of "Dazed and Confused" appeared in the 2025 documentary "Becoming Led Zeppelin" without giving Holmes proper credit or payment.
The lawsuit also alleges that Page has issued multiple live versions of the song from his time with the Yardbirds, listing himself as the sole writer.
Holmes wrote "Dazed and Confused" in 1967. The Yardbirds reworked it later that year, and Page's next band, Led Zeppelin, featured it on their debut album in 1969.
According to the suit, Holmes claimed that Page and Sony Pictures "willfully infringed the Holmes composition by falsely claiming that the Holmes composition is the Page composition by purporting to license use in the film of the Holmes composition as if it was the Page composition, and by collecting license fees for use of the Holmes composition in the film," Ultimate Classic Rock reported.
Through his lawsuit, Holmes sought $150,000, according to American Songwriter.
While the exact terms remain undisclosed, court filings in California indicate that the parties have reached a resolution and are finalizing a written settlement.
Holmes initially took legal action over the song back in 2010. That dispute was resolved privately, with Page agreeing to amend the songwriting credit to read, "Jimmy Page, inspired by Jake Holmes." The latest lawsuit stemmed from Holmes' belief that the recordings featured in Becoming Led Zeppelin breached the terms of that earlier settlement.
"Becoming Led Zeppelin" was a massive hit, drawing a record-breaking audience with its IMAX-exclusive release in February. It earned $3 million worldwide, with $2.6 million of that coming from its North American debut on 369 screens. According to Blabbermouth, the release set a new record for the largest opening weekend ever for an IMAX‑exclusive film.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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