Judge: Bad Bunny Used Disputed Sample and Never Proved He Had a Licence

U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II ruled on 20 August 2026 that Bad Bunny used a sample of Nigerian artist Dera's 2019 track "Empty My Pocket" in "Enséñame a Bailar" and that his lawyers refused to provide proof of a licence. Wright denied Bad Bunny's demand for $465,612 in legal fees, calling Empawa Africa's copyright claim "objectively reasonable."