In the legal aftermath of a pivotal copyright lawsuit, Bad Bunny is now pursuing $465,000 in legal fees from record label emPawa Africa following his victory in a dispute over the track “Enséñame a Bailar” from the album Un Verano Sin Ti. This development marks a significant moment in Bad Bunny’s ongoing efforts to maintain artistic integrity and address what his legal team describes as a baseless claim.
Case Details and Dismissal
The lawsuit originated in May when Nigerian producer Dera, whose real name is Ezeani Chidera Godfrey, accused Bad Bunny of including an unauthorized sample from a 2019 track he produced for Joeboy called “Empty My Pocket.” The case took a turn when Godfrey failed to attend a crucial discovery hearing on February 5 and missed a March 6 filing deadline, leading to the dismissal of the suit by the judge on March 9.
Godfrey’s legal challenges intensified in January when his attorneys withdrew, citing “irreparable differences” regarding legal strategies. Consequently, emPawa Africa, associated with Godfrey, was also dismissed from the case in February for not meeting court deadlines.
Legal Reactions and Motions
On March 23, Bad Bunny’s legal team filed a motion, obtained by Rolling Stone, asserting that the lawsuit against Un Verano Sin Ti was without merit from the start. They claimed the record label pursued the case in hopes of extracting a substantial settlement, leveraging Bad Bunny’s financial standing and public reputation.
The motion highlighted that the sample in question had been cleared with permission from Lakizo Entertainment, which had previously distributed the song. When emPawa Africa was prompted to provide evidence, they presented “frivolous objections” and delayed proceedings. The label’s legal counsel eventually withdrew, effectively abandoning the case rather than hiring new representation to continue the legal process.
Implications and Statements
The motion further stated, “When faced with an imminent court order that would require it to explain how it owned ‘Empty’ and Lakizo did not, Empawa chose instead to abandon its claims altogether.” Bad Bunny’s attorneys argued that failing to award the requested fees would leave emPawa without consequences, unfairly penalizing Bad Bunny and his legal team.
Final Notes
Significantly, Bad Bunny is not seeking legal fees from Dera, as his team believes that the artist was not the primary force behind the lawsuit nor responsible for its financing. “It is Moving Defendants’ belief that this co-plaintiff, Ezeani Chidera Godfrey p/k/a Dera, was not primarily responsible for the prosecution of the lawsuit,” the motion footnote clarified.
As this case unfolds, the broader impact of Bad Bunny’s legal victory over the Un Verano Sin Ti copyright dispute remains to be seen. Representatives for both Bad Bunny and emPawa Africa have not yet commented on the situation.
