Dominican merengue artist Wilfrido Vargas and Corporación Wilfrido Vargas, S.R.L. were ordered on October 28, 2026, to pay 14 million Dominican pesos to musician Juan Valdez Ybet for copyright infringement regarding the hit song “El baile del perrito.”
The problem is this. The Second Civil and Commercial Chamber of the Court of First Instance of the National District ruled that Valdez Ybet contributed creatively to both the lyrics and melody of the track’s B-section, rather than merely handling musical arrangements.
What You Need to Know
- Magistrada Nidia Victoria Jorge Taveras issued civil sentence 035-2026-SSEN-01198, partially upholding a damages lawsuit filed by Valdez Ybet.
- The financial penalty breaks down to 12 million pesos for moral damages and 2 million pesos for patrimonial losses accumulated over 30 years.
- The court dismissed claims to alter digital platforms and add author credits retroactively, ruling those requests were introduced too late in the proceedings.
Evidence and Court Findings
The judicial decision relied on multiple evidentiary items, including testimonies, audiovisual material, and entries from the memoir book “Me volviste loco,” Wilfrido, written by Vargas himself. A preserved cassette recording digitized during the proceedings helped prove Valdez Ybet's direct hand in crafting the composition. Law 65-00 on Copyright protects both moral and patrimonial rights, shielding creators from unauthorized commercial exploitation.
The defense argued that the statute of limitations barred the claims. The court rejected this argument outright, establishing that moral rights remain imprescriptible, inalienable, and perpetual under Dominican legislation. Because precise technical calculations of three decades of streaming and broadcast income proved impossible, the judge exercised powers granted by paragraph III of article 177 of Law 65-00 to fix the compensation.
Indemnization Amounts
| Damages Category | Amount Awarded (DOP) | Initial Demand (DOP) |
|---|---|---|
| Moral Damages | 12 million | 50 million |
| Patrimonial Damages | 2 million | 50 million |
| Total | 14 million | 100 million |
Valdez Ybet initially sought 100 million pesos in total compensation, splitting the demand evenly between moral and patrimonial claims.
Court Dispositions
The tribunal declared inadmissible the request to compel digital platforms and music publishers to update the song’s songwriter credits, noting that this demand arrived as a later addition outside the original lawsuit. The judge denied the imposition of an astreinte penalty, explaining that such coercive daily fines do not apply to straightforward monetary obligations.
Vargas and his corporate entity must cover all legal costs associated with the trial. The sentence mandates that the defendants publish the ruling's dispositive text in a national circulation newspaper at their own expense.
