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Ricky Martin Copyright Case Revived After 12 Years
17 Jun
Summary
- A federal appeals court revived a 12-year-old copyright lawsuit against Ricky Martin.
- The songwriter claims Martin copied his song for the 2014 World Cup track 'Vida'.
- The case returns to a lower court for further discovery and litigation.
A U.S. federal appeals court has revived a copyright infringement lawsuit against Ricky Martin, concerning his 2014 song 'Vida.' This ruling, issued on June 12, 2026, revives a case that has been ongoing for nearly 12 years. The lawsuit alleges that Ricky Martin copied a song and music video submitted by songwriter Luis Adrián Cortés-Ramos to a 2014 contest.
The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit vacated a lower court's decision that had previously granted Martin summary judgment. The appeals court determined that Cortés-Ramos was not adequately given the opportunity to pursue discovery, a crucial pretrial stage for gathering evidence. This oversight led the court to send the case back to the US District Court for the District of Puerto Rico for further litigation.
Cortés-Ramos first initiated legal action in July 2014. Despite previous dismissals based on arbitration clauses and other arguments, the case has persisted through numerous appeals. The latest ruling emphasizes that Cortés-Ramos must be granted a full and fair opportunity to conduct discovery before any further summary judgment is considered.
