Regular visitors of the reading room may recall that in August 2014 we reported here: https://lawdit.co.uk/news/2169/109/Shakira-song-copied, that U.S. federal judge Hellerstein found that ShakiraÂs hit single ÂLoca was copied from Dominican singer Ramos Arias VanzquezÂs song ÂLoca Con Su TiguereÂ.
It has now emerged that the Dominican songwriter may have lied at the stand. In U.S Federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday U.S. District Judge Hellerstein said that the defendants- two Sony Corps have submitted new evidence.
As such he has Ordered the defendants- Sony and Mayimba music the owner of the rights to the song in question, composed by Ramon Vazquez top appear for a further seven day hearing in August 2015. Sony are alleging that the proof a cassette tape at the centre of the copyright accusations was fabricated. It was claimed that the tape had been recorded in 1998.
The Judge commented that Sony have now submitted new evidence stating that the tape is a fabrication and was made in 2011, and further that Arias lied about it under oath. He further stated that Sony have submitted affidavits that purport to demonstrate that the underlying music to AriaÂs song was composed in 2009 by a different artist
He added that if credible the evidence would show that the plaintiff Âattempted to commit a fraud upon tis court, going so far as to fabricate evidence and commit perjuryÂ.
