Karol G Hit 'Gatúbela' Faces Copyright Lawsuit as Producer Claims Written Evidence of Infringement
A copyright infringement lawsuit has been filed against Karol G over her hit song "Gatúbela," which has amassed nearly 500 million Spotify streams. The lawsuit was filed in a Florida federal court by El Salvador-based producer Alfr3d Beats and Florida-based Jack Hernandez of Ocean Vibes Music Publishing.
Karol G forms heart gesture
The plaintiffs allege that "Gatúbela" copied elements from Alfr3d Beats' track "Punto G," which was released shortly before Gatúbela's debut. They claim that DJ Maff, Gatúbela's producer, was subscribed to Alfr3d Beats' YouTube channel when "Punto G" was released and subsequently used the beat without permission.
Key allegations in the lawsuit:
- A musicology expert found "extremely similar" elements between both songs, particularly in the main synthesizer riff and vocal chorus melody
- The similarities "would not have occurred by chance alone" and cannot be explained by prior art
- DJ Maff allegedly asked Alfr3d Beats "not to tell anybody" about the suspected infringement in a since-deleted Instagram comment
- In subsequent direct messages, DJ Maff claimed he had created the beat nine months earlier
The plaintiffs are seeking at least $6 million in damages, citing these social media exchanges as "written admissions of guilt." The lawsuit names multiple defendants, including Karol G, Maldy, Universal Music, and the song's co-writers.
Businessman checking phone with charts
Notably, while "Punto G" was available for free non-commercial use, its creator required explicit permission for any commercial applications.
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