Bad Bunny and Music Stars Want a Copyright Case Over Reggaeton Beats Thrown Out
Bad Bunny and other music industry stars, including Pitbull, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift, are seeking to have a copyright infringement lawsuit thrown out of court.
Lawyers representing Bad Bunny filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the disputed musical elements are not eligible for copyright protection.
The lawsuit was filed by Jamaican reggae producers Steely & Clevie, who claimed that over 100 artists and labels infringed on their song “Fish Market.”
Bad Bunny’s lawyers argue that the plaintiffs are attempting to monopolize the reggaeton genre by claiming ownership of compositions sampled by numerous artists.
The foundational beats in question come from Steely & Clevie’s 1989 song, and Bad Bunny is accused of copyright infringement in relation to 77 songs.
Bad Bunny’s lawyers assert that the characteristics cited by the plaintiffs are fundamental to the genre and do not include potentially copyrightable elements like melody and lyrics.
Another motion to dismiss was filed by Pryor Cashman, representing nearly 90 defendants, including Pitbull, Justin Bieber, and Ricky Martin, among others, citing technical faults in the copyright claim.
The defendants’ motions argue that the plaintiffs fail to provide sufficient evidence of ownership and standing to sue.
The defendants claim that the plaintiffs are asserting ownership over basic and common music elements that are not protectable.
Legal battles over music rights have involved prominent artists such as Taylor Swift and Led Zeppelin, and in a recent case, Ed Sheeran was found not to have infringed on Marvin Gaye’s song.
