Bad Bunny and Drake dodged a massive dembow copyright claim after a federal judge dismissed the core theory. Judge André Birotte Jr. ruled plaintiffs failed to identify a single copyrighted work containing the specific rhythmic combination they sought to protect across nearly 2,000 reggaeton tracks.
The September 1 order reverses a July decision that would have sent protectability questions to a jury. Plaintiffs cannot aggregate elements from multiple compositions like Fish Market and Pounder to reconstruct a new copyrighted work through litigation itself, according to the ruling.
Sound recording claims remain active despite this selection and arrangement dismissal covering over 150 artists. Parties must meet within 30 days to schedule remaining litigation, while Bad Bunny faces separate voice tag lawsuits seeking millions in Puerto Rican courts unrelated to this federal case.
The September 1 order reverses a July decision that would have sent protectability questions to a jury. Plaintiffs cannot aggregate elements from multiple compositions like Fish Market and Pounder to reconstruct a new copyrighted work through litigation itself, according to the ruling.
Sound recording claims remain active despite this selection and arrangement dismissal covering over 150 artists. Parties must meet within 30 days to schedule remaining litigation, while Bad Bunny faces separate voice tag lawsuits seeking millions in Puerto Rican courts unrelated to this federal case.
