Drop That Bass: Can One Song Define a Genre?

Clara Nieman presented at the North Carolina Bar Association's 2026 Antitrust & Complex Business Disputes Law Section Program. After a brief overview of music copyright — including compositions versus sound recordings, fair use, covers, and sampling — Nieman discussed the ongoing litigation over the 1989 song "Fish Market," which involves thousands of songs and seeks to establish ownership of the foundational elements of the entire musical genre of reggaeton.