Entertainment
Federal judge orders musician to pay $1.2 million in Latin music copyright lawsuit
A Miami court found Luigui Bleand liable for infringing 40 songs after entering an unauthorized distribution deal for independent Latin catalogs.
The short version
- A Miami federal judge ordered musician Luigui Bleand to pay $1.2 million to independent Latin record labels and publishers for copyright infringement.
- The lawsuit alleged Bleand falsely claimed ownership of 40 musical works and signed an unauthorized distribution deal with Warner Music Group's ADA Latin.
- The affected labels include J&N Music Group, 829Music Mundial, and Mayimba Music, which encompass tracks by Dominican artists such as Ramón Torres and Grupo Aguakate.
Key facts
- Judge Darrin P. Gayles issued a federal court judgment awarding $30,000 per infringed work for 40 tracks, totaling $1.2 million, along with legal fees.[Billboard]
- Plaintiffs J&N Music Group, 829Music Mundial, and Mayimba Music filed the copyright infringement lawsuit against Bleand in 2024.[Billboard]
- Bleand entered a distribution agreement with ADA Latin, leading to the tracks being made available on platforms including Spotify, Amazon, and YouTube.[Billboard]
- ADA Latin ended its distribution deal with Bleand after learning he lacked rights to the music and later settled confidentially with the plaintiffs to leave the suit.[Billboard]
- Bleand ceased responding to the lawsuit after his lawyers withdrew following the collapse of a tentative 2025 settlement.[Billboard]
What remains uncertain
- Neither Bleand nor a representative for Warner Music Group immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the judgment.[Billboard]