Charlie Aponte, former singer The Great Combo of Puerto Rico, was favored in a long legal dispute against Rafael Ithier, director of the group. Since 2017, both have been involved in a conflict over the royalties of some songs, which are collected by Sound Exchange, an American company in charge of managing the income generated by the dissemination of these on digital platforms.
What did Charlie Aponte demand from El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico?
In October 2022, the situation seemed to be resolved in favor of Rafael Ithier. A court had ruled in his favor, upholding his position as leader of The Great Combo of Puerto Rico and stating that Charlie Aponte He had only been an employee of the group.
“The Great Combo, organized as a corporation, is a distinct legal entity that employs the musicians who make up the orchestra. As the group most prominently featured on the recordings, the corporation has the right to collect royalties as the principal performer and ( Ithier) is the sole owner of that corporation,” said Jay García Gregory, the judge who handled the case, according to the media. First hour.
The ruling in favor of Charlie Aponte
Although the outlook seemed discouraging for the singer, the Boston Court of Appeals has just issued a new ruling that has taken an important turn in favor of the plaintiff. According to a report by Noticelthe First Circuit of Appeals ruled that Carlos Juan Aponte Cruz, real name of Charlie Aponteis entitled to a portion of the digital royalties from the songs he recorded with The Great Combo of Puerto Rico.
The interpreter of Witchcraft He claimed from the company Sound Exchange Inc. that he was entitled to a 45% share of the income.
“This establishes that the royalties from the digital transmissions of these historical salsa recordings, of whatever… the royalties are for the artists who are on the recording, not for the owners of the bands, for the artists. For all those who are in those recordings”, the lawyer José Alfredo Hernández Mayoral, who represented Aponte if.
In the program I know everythingbroadcast by the television station Wapa-TVHe added that he will now begin a process with the company Sound Exhange Inc. to verify all royalties that belong to him. Charlie.
The Great Combo of Puerto Rico will not appeal in case
According to information from The Spokesman, Rafael Ithier has decided not to appeal the case, which suggests the end of the legal conflict, said Roberto Sueiro, the lawyer of the legendary director of El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico.
“He (Charlie Aponte) was asking for 50% of the 45% of Sound Exchange. The Court ruled that the featured artist (featured artist) was not El Gran Combo and Charlie, it was just El Gran Combo. What the First Circuit says is that the featured artist They are all the members of the Combo, not the institution or the owner Rafael Ithier. Therefore, what Charlie receives is one fourteenth of all the recordings in which he has participated,” said Sueiro.
Charlie Aponte In 1973 he joined the ranks of The Great Combo of Puerto Rico until 2014, when he announced his career as a soloist. In 2017, she initiated a claim for royalties from the more than 200 songs she recorded with the Universidad de la Salsa.
