Bad Bunny is in a legal tangle, the outcome of which may impact the future of reggaeton. The legal battle rests on the origins of the dembow riddim, one of the defining foundations of reggaeton.
Bad Bunny’s copyright case could affect more than 100 artists and 1,800 reggaeton songs
The dispute rests on “Fish Market,” a track produced by Jamaican reggae duo Steely and Clevie in 1989. According to the plaintiffs, elements of the song later became part of the dembow riddim that helped shape modern reggaeton. Since 2023, Clevie and Steely have insisted that this could potentially affect more than 100 artists and approximately 1,800 songs.
In early July, U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. ruled that the jury’s decision should be based on certain factors. These include whether the musical combination identified by the plaintiffs is comprehensively protected by copyright. Secondly, they should consider whether reggaeton recordings copied those elements without authorization.
However, Bad Bunny’s legal team has persuaded the judge to reconsider the decision. Birotte said he would take several weeks to issue an order.
The central debate centers on what constitutes the dembow riddim. Plaintiffs argue that it is directly derived from “Fish Market.” In contrast, Bad Bunny’s legal team disputes this, saying that the disputed elements do not form a continuous musical passage from that composition.
The defense also says that copyright protection cannot be based on musical elements gathered from separate portions of different works. They argue that those elements do not appear together in the original composition.
The case is highly complex and could ultimately require additional expert analysis. Musicologists may need to determine whether the disputed elements constitute protectable musical material.
The Bad Bunny songs potentially affected include “Tití Me Preguntó,” “Un Ratito” and “Una Vez,” all of which use dembow.
DOES THE CASE SOUND COMPLICATED TO YOU?
