Karol G Hit with Copyright Lawsuit Over 'Gatúbela' as Producer Claims Written Proof of Infringement
Karol G faces a copyright infringement lawsuit from El Salvador-based producer Alfr3d Beats and Florida-based Jack Hernandez over her hit song "Gatúbela."
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The lawsuit, filed in Florida federal court, claims "Gatúbela" infringes on Alfr3d Beats' track "Punto G," which was released shortly before Karol G's song. The plaintiffs are seeking $6 million in damages.
Key points of the lawsuit:
- "Gatúbela" producer DJ Maff was allegedly subscribed to Alfr3d Beats' YouTube channel when "Punto G" was released
- A musicologist expert found "extremely similar" elements between both songs, including the main synthesizer riff and vocal chorus melody
- The plaintiffs claim to have "written admissions of guilt" from DJ Maff through Instagram interactions
According to the lawsuit, when confronted about the alleged infringement on Instagram, DJ Maff allegedly asked Alfr3d Beats not to "tell anybody" about the situation. In subsequent direct messages, Maff claimed he had created the beat nine months earlier.
The defendants include:
- Karol G
- Maldy
- Universal Music
- Other co-writers of "Gatúbela"
The case is particularly notable as "Gatúbela" has reached nearly 500 million Spotify streams. While "Punto G" was free for non-commercial use, the lawsuit maintains that commercial usage required explicit permission from Alfr3d Beats.
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