Judge Denies Bad Bunny Nearly $500,000 in Legal Fees in Un Verano Sin Ti Sample Case
The Puerto Rican superstar sought $465,612 after defeating a copyright lawsuit over a sample used on “Enséñame a Bailar” Judge Denies Bad Bunny Nearly $500,000 in Legal Fees in Un Verano Sin Ti Sample Case Pedro Camacho
A federal judge has dismissed Bad Bunny's request to recover nearly $500,000 in legal fees after he successfully fought a copyright lawsuit involving a sample used on his 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti. U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II ruled that Empawa Africa had brought an "objectively reasonable" case and rejected Bad Bunny's argument that the company pursued the lawsuit with improper motives.
The dispute centered on "Enséñame a Bailar," which samples "Empty My Pocket," a 2019 song by Nigerian artist Dera. Bad Bunny's attorneys had maintained that the sample had been properly licensed, but the judge disagreed, noting that Bad Bunny had used the copyrighted material and his attorneys had not provided Empawa with documentation proving they had permission to sample it.
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