A major lawsuit that could shake up the reggaeton genre is moving forward in the courts. Multiple reggaeton stars like Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, and more are being sued by a Jamaican dancehall production house for copyright infringement.
Back in 2023, Steely & Clevie Productions filed a lawsuit claiming many reggaetoneros and popstars illegally used and benefited from elements of their “Fish Market” riddim. Steely & Clevie’s song was released in 1989, but it became more well-known after being used in Shabba Ranks’ track “Dem Bow.” The lawsuit alleges that “Fish Market” was used as a foundation for the beats of reggaeton music’s hits, claiming copyright infringement. Over 1,800 songs are listed in the lawsuit by high-profile artists, including Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, Justin Bieber, Drake, Luis Fonsi, Pitbull, and others.
The legal teams for many of these artists have tried to have the case thrown out. According to Billboard, Bad Bunny’s team pushed for dismissal by claiming that the musical elements presented in Steely & Clevie’s lawsuit were “unprotectable.” Teams for Daddy Yankee and the record labels involved also tried to stop the case by saying it cast too broad of a web to be seen as a fair lawsuit.
On Wednesday (May 29), Judge André Birotte Jr. denied the motion to dismiss Steely & Clevie Productions’ lawsuit. The case will now proceed to discovery.
“The court recognizes the practice of musical borrowing, and in doing so, cannot merely conclude that because the reggaeton genre (or artists) have purportedly borrowed significantly from attributes of plaintiffs’ work that those attributes are now in effect commonplace elements,” Judge Birotte wrote in his latest ruling.
During the discovery phase, the judge will review the evidence and consider the plaintiffs’ and defendants’ depositions and expert testimonies. If no judgment is reached after the discovery process, the case will proceed to trial.