Shakira’s “Loca” song in Copyright Infringement

The song LOCA, by the legendary Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira contained segments that were clearly copied from a track called “Loca con su Tiguere” by Ramon Arias Vazquez which was released in the late 1990’s.

The Spanish version was released on 10 September 2010 and the English version on 13^th September 2010. The sources say that the track was obliquely copied from a track released nearly 15 years ago.

“The song was sold more than five million copies—infringed a track by Dominican Republic-based artist Ramon Arias Vazquez,” says Judge Alvin Hellerstein. He added saying “There is no dispute that Shakira\’s version of the song was based on Bello\’s [Cata] version.\”

Vazquez, Cata and Shakira are not parties in the suit which was first filed in 2012 by Mayimba Music, which holds the rights to Vazquez’s work, against Shakira’s record label Sony.

Vasquez says he wrote and recorded the song after his sister had gotten caught up in a love triangle between a wealthy suitor and her boyfriend, a \”Tiguere\” — Dominican slang for \”street tough,\” the ruling says.

He also said he sang the song for rapper Eduard (El Cata) Bello in 2006 or 2007, when they met outside a rehearsal studio in the Dominican Republic, apparently in hopes of getting Bello to record it.

The case has yet to determine damages for the plaintiff, Mayimba Music, which holds the rights to Arias\’ work.  A trial on damages will be held later this year.

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