Pitbull’s song “I Feel Good” was at the center of a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by a company called All Surface Publishing.
The singer’s label, Mr. 305 Inc., was sued last week. The publisher claimed that Pitbull’s 2021 hit “I Feel Good” infringed the copyright to Debonair Samir’s 2006 song “Samir’s Theme” because it had “significant similarities.”
“The copyright infringement is an exact copy of a recognizable portion of the plaintiff’s copied musical work,” the complaint states (according to Billboard). “Listened in real time, the descending lines of both songs seem almost identical.”
Additionally, DJ White Shadow (Paul Edward Blair), the producer and guest artist on Pitbull’s song, and Universal Music Group were named as defendants. It was claimed that Mr. 305 Inc. was a “wholly owned subsidiary of UMG,” although it is unclear if this is true.
The lawsuit also alleges that Aaron LaCanfora, owner of All Surface Publishing, sent “Samir’s Theme” to Shadow in 2011, who allegedly responded, “I love that song.”
“I Feel Good” peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and stayed on the charts for 27 weeks.
The lawsuit came days after the “Hotel Room Service” singer acquired the naming rights to Florida International University’s stadium and renamed the facility “Pitbull Stadium.”
The singer will pay $1.2 million (£1.03 million) annually for the next five years to retain the naming rights to the campus venue, with an option to extend the deal for another five years in August 2029 if he wishes to continue the partnership.
NME has reached out to Pitbull representatives for comment.
In other Pitbull news, the artist responded earlier this summer after one of his songs was featured in a steamy sex scene from “Bridgerton.”
At the end of the fourth episode of the third season, an orchestral version of his 2011 song “Give Me Everything” was used as the soundtrack to a thrilling and romantic scene in the back of a train car between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).
“This shows the world once again that music is an international language that transcends borders and that a hit can remain timeless,” he wrote afterwards.
Hip Hop
