A federal judge has reversed a previous decision in a major copyright lawsuit involving reggaeton music, delivering a significant victory to Bad Bunny and numerous other prominent artists in the genre. The ruling effectively eliminates a substantial portion of the case that had threatened to involve approximately 1,800 songs from over 100 artists, including Drake, Karol G, Pitbull, Daddy Yankee, and Justin Bieber.
The lawsuit centered on claims that these contemporary reggaeton tracks infringed on composition rights to the 1989 song “Fish Market.” Plaintiffs argued the track contained the foundational dembow rhythm that defines reggaeton music. However, U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. determined that the plaintiffs failed to properly identify a single copyrighted work containing the allegedly protected musical elements they sought to enforce.
Legal representatives for Bad Bunny successfully argued that the plaintiffs were attempting to combine musical components from multiple different songs rather than protecting one original work. This approach contradicts established copyright law precedent. The judge acknowledged that allowing the case to proceed would have created an unmanageable discovery process potentially lasting years and affecting countless artists across the industry.
The decision reinforces that copyright protection applies to individual creative works rather than assemblages of musical elements drawn from various sources, establishing an important legal standard for the music industry.
Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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