There is no bigger Latin music legal battle than the sprawling copyright lawsuit over the origins of reggaeton’s dem bow rhythm — the boom-ch-boom-chick, boom-ch-boom-chick used in nearly every song in the genre.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 08: Bad Bunny performs onstage during the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on February 08, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. are embroiled in a growing number of major legal battles in U.
S. courts. As the old music lawyer adage goes: “Where there’s a hit, there’s a writ.”in revenue in 2024, marking the genre’s third consecutive year surpassing $1 billion. “Latin music in the U.S. continues to gain popularity and generate increased value thanks to the incredible artists whose music connects across language and geographical barriers,” said the Recording Industry Association of America’sAll that explosive growth has been fueled not only by the global superstardom of Bunny — who played this year’s Super Bowl and cleaned up at the Grammy Awards — but also by the rise of artists like Colombian star But with great success comes great disputes. Reggaeton stars, like Bunny himself, are facing unprecedented litigation over how key elements of their music are covered by copyright laws. Other big names, like Del Records founder‘s quick guide to Latin music’s major lawsuits, criminal cases and legal battles. We break down five major cases and everything you need to know about them, followed by five more key legal disputes to watch in the months ahead.over the origins of reggaeton’s dem bow rhythm — the boom-ch-boom-chick, boom-ch-boom-chick used in nearly every song in the genre. The case claims that crucial element was essentially stolen from a single 1989 song, and that it’s time for the music business to pay up. The scale of the case is staggering. It targets Bad Bunny, Karol G, Daddy Yankee and more than 150 other artists as defendants, plus units of all three major music companies, claiming that nearly 2,000 of their songs were illegal. If successful, it would mean that almost all reggaeton artists would need to pay licensing fees to use a core aspect of the genre., the case could have a disruptive effect on reggaeton — a booming genre that’s risen alongside Bad Bunny from the clubs of Puerto Rico to the very top of the global music business. “This case is jaw-dropping,” saidin 2024, and following a key hearing in December, it’s now primed for a major ruling on crucial questions, which will determine whether the lawsuit is dismissed or can move ahead to a jury trial. Stay tuned.n December 2024, Daddy Yankee filed for divorce from his wife of 30 years. The two have been duking it out in court ever since — not just over the marriage dissolution but also bombshell accusations of stolen money, defamation and racketeering., of scheming to steal songwriting royalties during a nearly decade-long racketeering conspiracy in which they “systematically misappropriated publishing income.”they were a “fabrication” created by Daddy Yankee to gain a tactical advantage in their divorce proceedings. But the case remains pending, with an updated version of the case filed earlier this month.Ángel Del Villar founded Del Records in 2008 and built it into a powerhouse for regional Mexican music; it’s now home to the supergroupand other chart-topping artists. But it all came crashing down in June 2022, when federal prosecutors accused Del Villar of doing business with a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels., a promoter sanctioned by the U.S. for helping cartels “exploit the Mexican music industry to launder drug proceeds and glorify their criminal activities.”took the stand to testify against Del Villar, saying he had seen Pérez Alvear at the Del Records offices and had himself performed at one of the promoter’s concerts. Del Villar’s defense attorneys argued back that he had been “manipulated” into working with Pérez Alvear by a “trusted” former employee.while he fights an appeal — a challenge that his lawyers say could very well overturn his convictions based on serious errors with how the trial was conducted.album featured an unlicensed sample from a Nigerian artist. The case was quickly dismissed, but he’s not letting his accusers off the hook that easily. The lawsuit claimed Bunny’s “Enséñame a Bailar” illegally sampled from a 2019 track called “Empty My Pocket” by an artist named Dera, who said the superstar had “turned a blind eye” to the problem: “It is not very often that a musical artist of Bad Bunny’s caliber and sophistication uses someone else’s music without permission, and then ignores the person’s efforts to resolve the problem.”was a big deal, spending 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and more than 150 weeks on the chart. But in March, the judgeIn a scathing motion, he argued that Dera’s label, emPawa Africa, must repay a whopping $465,612 legal bill Bad Bunny racked up defending the case: “This case was meritless from the beginning and should never have been brought,” he wrote. “Instead, emPawa filed and aggressively litigated it, apparently hoping that Bad Bunny’s wealth, prominence and desire to avoid attorneys’ fees and bad publicity would enable emPawa to extract an undeserved, multimillion-dollar settlement.”is battling in court with his ex-girlfriend, Venezuelan influencer Isabella Ladera, over accusations that the Colombian pop star is responsible for the viral leak of their sex tape — allegations he has vehemently denied by saying that he is “also a victim.”in September 2025, Ladera accused Beéle of invasion of privacy, sexual cyberharassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence over the leak, claiming he either intentionally published the video online or shared it with someone else who did the same. “Only two people had the videos, and Ladera had already erased them almost a year and a half before,” Ladera’s lawyers wrote at the time., saying he “did not leak said material” nor participate in it being disseminated: “Beéle is also a victim of the non-consensual exposure of his private life,” his attorneys wrote. “We reject all forms of violence and will continue to pursue legal channels to ensure the comprehensive defense of his rights.” The case remains pending in the earliest stages of litigation, and Beéle has not yet filed any formal response arguments.with its label, Rancho Humilde. The label first accused the band of breaching its record deal by unilaterally doing features for other artists and inking live performance contracts with Apple Music and Live Nation. Fuerza then countersued, alleging Humilde withheld millions of dollars in royalties and tried to “sabotage” its success.from an unnamed tour photographer alleging Ayala’s son engaged in abusive behavior toward the staffer, including unwanted touching and exposing his genitals.ambush-style shooting of 22-year-old DELAROSA, an up-and-coming singer who released a single in August called “No Me Llames,” which in English translates to “Don’t Call Me.”Ronaldinho Launches Record Label, Kicking Off With World Cup-Inspired Album: ‘Music Has Always Been a Big Part of My Life’
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