Luis Fonsi and dozens of artists of the urban genre such as Daddy Yankee, Ozuna and Wisin & Yandel are sued for copyright infringement

More than 30 artists, producers and record labels have been named in a lawsuit that was filed at the end of July 2022 by the production house of “dancehall reggae” Steely & Clevie Productions in which it accuses of illegal use and that they benefited from elements of the rhythm of “Jamaican dancehall” by Fish Market, launched in 1989, and known internationally as “dembow”.

Although originally the lawsuit in the United States District Court, Central District of California, for copyright infringement focused on the Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsialleging that several of his songs had elements in common with creations by Steely & Clevie Productions, this was consolidated in a single legal action that includes multiple and popular reggaeton figures.

Among Fonsi’s noted songs are “Bésame” feat. Myke Towers, “Calypso” feat. Stefflon Don, “Turn Around” feat. Sebastián Yatra and Nicky Jam, “Despacito” feat. Daddy Yankee, “Despacito Remix ft. Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber, “Échame La Culpa” ft. Demi Lovato, “Impossible” ft. Ozuna, “Perfect” ft. Farruko, “Alone” and “Vacío” feat. Raw Alejandro.

The document consists of 82 pages and was presented exclusively on January 6 on the portal Dancehall Magwhich detailed the people involved in various groups, beginning with the Puerto Rican urban artist daddy yankeegiven name Raymond Ayala, who had more than 40 associated songs identified in the consolidated lawsuit as direct samples of one or more elements of the Fish Market riddim.

Among these songs by the self-styled singer “El Big Boss” and who recently ended his world tour with which he retired, “Gasolina”, “Dura”, “Hula Hoop”, “La Rompe Corazones” ft. Ozuna, “Shaky Shaky”, “Break”, “Latigazo”, “What Happened, Happened” and “You look good”.

In the 40 indicated songs, the following artists, producers and companies share the accusations: Anuel AA, Yandel, Juan Carlos Salinas Jr. (Obra), Oscar Edward Salinas (Skillz), David Alberto Macias (Scott Summers), Francisco Saldaña (Luny ), Víctor B Cabrera (Tunes), Carlos Isaías Morales Williams (Sech), Rafael Antonio Pina Nieves (Raphy Pina), Urbani Mota Cedeño (DJ Urba), Luis Jorge, Romero (Roma), Marcos Masis (Tainy), Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado (Ozuna), Juan Luis Morera Luna (Wisin), Chris Jedi, Gaby Music, El Cartel Records Inc and Gasolina Publishing Co. The record label Sony Music also appears among the sued companies.

According to information disseminated in Dancehall Mag, the lawsuit describes the rhythm as having “a tambourine that plays through the entire measure, a synth ‘tom’ that plays on beats one and three, and timpani that play a roll at the end of every second measure and free improvisation over the pattern during the beat.” song length.

It can be seen in the consolidated complaint, which included as supporting material some images of staves that include transcriptions of the instrumental tracks, comparing the Fish Market riddim with several of the songs indicated as infringing.

Likewise, another group of reggaetoneros in demand also includes international artists pitbull, Afrobros and El Chombo, for their song “Dame tu cosita”, in which Jamaican artist Cutty Ranks also appears. In 2018, El Chombo released another remix of “Dame Tu Cosita”, along with Pitbull and Karol G.who also appear in the lawsuit.