Bad Bunny has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against a fan who refused to take down videos he posted on YouTube of his recent concert in Utah. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
The artist is seeking up to $150,000 for each of the 10 songs recorded and posted to the concertgoer’s YouTube channel.
If you usually post videos of the concerts you attend, you may not be able to do so again in the future. And Bad Bunny will have more to do with that decision than you imagine.
Benito Martínez Ocasio, the Puerto Rican entertainer’s real name, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against a fan who refused to take down videos he posted on YouTube of his concert at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Feb. 21.
That show marked the kickoff of Bad Bunny’s “Most Wanted Tour” in the US.
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The complaint was filed last week, in a federal court in California. It alleges that Eric Guillermo Madroñal Garrone, the creator of the Madrid-based YouTube channel MADforliveMUSIC, was asked to remove 10 videos featuring several of the artist’s full songs from the show.
The claim says the video contains “unauthorized bootleg” footage that infringed on Bad Bunny’s copyrights. The lawsuit alleges this action prompted the singer to submit a takedown request through YouTube to have the videos removed from the platform.
Garrone answered with a formal counternotice and argued the videos do not violate copyright laws. He also cited his rights to freedom of expression, and said the footage showed a “newsworthy event of high public interest.”
After Garrone’s response, YouTube notified the vegabajeño that they wouldn’t be able to take down the videos unless he responded with evidence of legal action.
Bad Bunny is seeking up to $150,000 for each of the 10 songs recorded and posted to Garrone’s YouTube channel.
As of Thursday, Garrone’s channel was not available. A YouTube spokesperson told NBC News the “account in question was terminated after we received multiple third-party claims of copyright infringement.”
Fan clips from concerts often flood social networks. However, they are generally considered to have promotional value for the artists’ tour.
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However, copyright experts have pointed out the problem is when complete songs from concerts are shared on channels that monetize their content.
It remains to be seen if Benito’s lawsuit establishes a precedent that leads to stricter orders regarding the use of cell phones at concerts.
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