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Reggaeton dembow rhythm copyright case

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-15 12:42 UTC → 2026-09-02 06:02 UTC · added removed

In early July 2026, U.S. District Judge André Birotte Jr. ruled that the dispute over the iconic dembow rhythm – the backbone of reggaeton – must be decided by a jury rather than through summary judgment. The lawsuit, filed by Jamaican producers Steely & Clevie, alleges that their 1989 instrumental “Fish Market” was copied in thousands of recordings by artists such as Bad Bunny, Karol G, Drake, Justin Bieber, and others. Judge Birotte Jr. emphasized the factual complexity of the case, noting conflicting expert opinions on whether the rhythm is an original arrangement or derived from older forms like the habanera. The litigation potentially involves between 1,800 and 18,000 songs, and a victory for the plaintiffs could result in damages worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Following the ruling, Bad Bunny’s legal team filed a motion for the judge to reconsider, arguing that the contested “Fish Market Elements” do not exist as a single, protectable entity in any one work. The defense characterized the elements as a “pastiche” or a “Frankenstein” beat stitched together from disconnected excerpts. Bad Bunny, joined by Drake, Myke Towers, Wisin, Yandel, and De La Ghetto, has publicly opposed the decision. Bad Bunny has indicated he will file an immediate appeal if In a significant development on September 1, 2026, Judge Birotte Jr. issued a reversal, striking down a substantial portion of the ruling stands, underscoring lawsuit. The judge ruled that the case’s potential plaintiffs failed to fundamentally reshape how copyright law treats rhythmic patterns identify a single, protectable copyrighted work encompassing the selection and shared musical languages in arrangement of the global music industry. rhythm. While this eliminates claims regarding the compositional elements of the rhythm, the court maintained that litigation may continue regarding specific claims of direct sampling from the original Steely & Clevie recordings.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-02 06:02 UTC Reggaeton dembow rhythm copyright case
  2. 2026-08-15 12:42 UTC Reggaeton dembow rhythm copyright case

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