Singer Mr Eazi’s record label, emPawa Africa, may be required to pay $456,312 in legal fees after a copyright case involving Bad Bunny was dismissed.
Bad Bunny’s legal team is seeking the sum following the collapse of a lawsuit filed over alleged copyright infringement tied to his song “Enséñame a Bailar.”
The case was initiated by Nigerian producer Dera, whose real name is Ezeani Godfrey, over claims that the track used an uncleared sample from ‘Empty My Pocket,’ a song he produced for Joeboy.
According to reports, emPawa Africa was initially listed as a co-plaintiff after Mr Eazi publicly accused Bad Bunny and his team of failing to properly credit Dera and Joeboy for their work.
However, the lawsuit, which dates back to 2023, was dismissed by a United States federal court after the plaintiffs failed to continue prosecution of the case.
Following the dismissal, Bad Bunny’s lawyers filed a request asking the court to order emPawa Africa to cover $456,312 in legal costs incurred during the case.
Bad Bunny’s legal team has argued that the lawsuit lacked sufficient evidence and should not have been pursued, hence the request for reimbursement of legal expenses.
Mr Eazi, born Oluwatosin Ajibade, founded emPawa Africa as a platform to support emerging African artistes, including Joeboy, whose 2019 song ‘Empty My Pocket’ was at the centre of the case.
