Bad Bunny Wants $466,000 Legal Bill Reimbursed After Defeating ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ Sample Lawsuit

Bad Bunny’s lawyers say an African music publisher should cover their fees after dragging the Puerto Rican superstar into failed copyright litigation over a track on his chart-topping album Un Verano Sin Ti . emPawa Africa, an independent music company that has a deal with Nigerian songwriter Dera, sued Bad Bunny last year for allegedly failing to ask their permission before sampling his 2019 song “Empty My Pocket” on “Enséñame a Bailar,” which spent two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022.

Bad Bunny maintains that he properly cleared the sample with another rightsholder on “Empty My Pocket,” the producer Lakizo. The attorneys repping emPawa dropped out of the lawsuit at the end of 2025 due to “irreconcilable differences,” ultimately leading a judge to dismiss the case for lack of prosecution earlier this month. Now, Bad Bunny and various co-defendants in the case, including Rimas Entertainment and The Orchard, argue that emPawa should have to foot the $465,612 legal bill they racked up defending against the “frivolous” claims.

“This case was meritless from the beginning and should never have...