Led Zeppelin Vs. Willie Dixon (1972)
Led Zeppelin’s second album opener “Whole Lotta Love” took lyrics from a song Dixon wrote entitled “You Need Love.” The case was settled outside of court for a suspected large sum of money.
Led Zeppelin Vs. Willie Dixon
George Harrison Vs. The Chiffons (1976)
The issue here involved George Harrison’s first solo number one hit, “My Sweet Lord” and the song “He’s So Fine,” by the Chiffons. The judge ruled in favor of The Chiffons stating Harrison was guilty of “subconscious plagiarism.” He was initially ordered to pay $1,599,987, but this amount was reduced to $587,000 when his former manager Allen Klein purchased Bright Tunes Music and negotiated the sale of the song to Harrison. The importance of this ruling is that it introduced the precedent of “subconscious plagiarism” into court rulings.
George Harrison Vs. The Chiffons
