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Jamaican dancehall production duo Steelie and Clevie have suffered a massive legal setback after a U.S. federal judge reversed an earlier decision in their sweeping reggaeton copyright lawsuit.
In a ruling handed down on Wednesday, District Judge André Birotte Jr. determined that Cleveland "Clevie" Browne and the estate of the late Wycliffe "Steelie" Johnson failed to establish that they control a valid copyright over the arrangement forming reggaeton's signature dembow rhythm.
The decision marks a major victory for Latin superstar Bad Bunny, alongside more than 150 artists, labels, and publishers named in the 2021 lawsuit that targeted over 1,800 songs.
Judge Birotte agreed with defense arguments that the plaintiffs were attempting to enforce a "Frankenstein" copyright constructed from elements of three separate compositions rather than a single copyrighted work.
-SHANNAE