Johnny Depp takes legal action against man who accused him of plagiarism

Johnny Depp took legal action against Bruce Jackson who alleged that the actor and his friend Jeff Beck plagiarized song lyrics.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor and Beck came under fire after Jackson told Rolling Stone that they have allegedly stolen the song Sad Mother***** Parade’s lyrics from a poem Hobo Ben written by a prisoner.

The folklorist claimed that Depp and Beck’s track has lyrics that were actually written by a man named Slim Wilson, whose poems Jackson has documented in his book Get You’re A** in The Water and Swim Like Me.

In their lawsuit, Depp and Beck clapped back at Jackson’s allegations, saying, that the poem has “no clear origin” and Jackson could not own the copyright to an old folktale.

The court documents obtained by TMZ, the duo also said that Jackson even admitted that the person who shared the poem with him said that it was passed down over time like an old folktale.

The actor and the rock guitarist further bashed Jackson for what they say is “an old-fashioned shakedown” and demanded damages for his false accusations.

They also want the judge to “declare they didn’t commit copyright infringement” by using parts of Wilson’s poem in their song, as per the outlet.

[VIA]