Issue No. 049 · Story 01 · September 4, 2026
CopyrightBad Bunny Narrows Reggaeton Copyright Case
A California federal judge reconsidered an earlier ruling and rejected the broadest copyright theory in a case targeting Bad Bunny and more than 150 other artists over reggaeton's dembow rhythm.
- §The plaintiffs claimed that a protectable selection and arrangement appeared across three recordings associated with Steely and Clevie.
- §The court found that the asserted arrangement was not clearly identified in any single copyrighted work.
- §The ruling removes claims involving nearly 2,000 songs from the current theory of infringement.
- §Narrower claims alleging direct sampling of specific recordings remain in the case.
THE TAKEAWAY
This issue tracks how copyright disputes can turn on the definition of a protected work, the amplification of someone else's content, and a creator's statutory right to reclaim ownership.
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