Bad Bunny Seeks 456,312 Dollars in Legal Fees After Copyright Case Involving emPawa Africa and Dera Collapses

Bad Bunny’s legal team has filed a request in a U.S. federal court seeking 456,312 dollars in legal fees from emPawa Africa, the music company founded by Nigerian artist Mr Eazi, following the collapse of a copyright lawsuit involving Nigerian producer Dera.

The case, which dates back to 2023, centred on allegations that Bad Bunny’s song “Enséñame a Bailar” contained an uncleared sample from “Empty My Pocket,” a 2019 track produced by Dera for Joeboy. The lawsuit was formally filed in May, with emPawa Africa initially listed as a co-plaintiff after Mr Eazi publicly accused Bad Bunny’s team of failing to properly credit the Nigerian creators.

However, the case began to fall apart earlier this year. In January, Dera’s legal representatives withdrew, citing disagreements over legal strategy. Shortly after, emPawa Africa was removed from the suit for missing key filing deadlines.

Dera also failed to meet multiple court requirements, including missing a March 6 deadline to proceed with the case and not appearing at a scheduled discovery hearing in February.

On March 9, Judge Otis Wright dismissed the case entirely, stating that Dera had effectively abandoned it. The court noted that continuing the case would be unfair to the defendants and not in the public interest.

Following the dismissal, Bad Bunny’s legal team is now seeking to recover legal costs, turning the failed lawsuit into a potentially costly outcome for those initially involved in the claim.