Cardi B Scores Major Legal Win as $50 Million Copyright Lawsuit Gets Tossed — But the Fight May Not Be Over

Cardi B has secured another courtroom victory, with a federal judge dismissing a $50 million copyright infringement lawsuit tied to her track “Enough (Miami)”, but the ruling leaves the door open for more legal drama ahead.

The case, brought by songwriters Joshua Fraustro and Miguel Aguilar, accused the Grammy-winning rapper of copying their song “Greasy Frybread.” But in a decision that focused on technical legal issues rather than the music itself, the court tossed the lawsuit without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez dismissed the complaint on March 30, citing multiple legal shortcomings, including jurisdictional issues and the plaintiffs’ lack of a valid copyright registration at the time they filed the lawsuit.

Fraustro and Aguilar had argued that Cardi’s performances in Texas justified bringing the case there, but the judge rejected that reasoning. He also ruled that allowing further amendments would be “futile.”

Cardi’s legal team had previously argued that the plaintiffs attempted to shift their claims under Texas law only after realizing they did not have proper copyright protection in place.

“This case was dismissed for a variety of clear legal reasons, including copyright registration, jurisdiction, and failure to show a real cause,” said Seth Schachner, a former Sony Music and Microsoft executive who now serves as managing director of Strat Americas. “From what I can see, it didn’t even get to the question of substantial similarity.”

That question — whether two songs are similar enough to constitute infringement — is typically central in music copyright cases.

“Usually, the track has to have substantial similarity, and the accused needs to have had some type of reasonable access to hearing it,” Schachner explained, noting that even experts can disagree. “But no one owns chords, and some cases can even stump musicologists.”

Despite the dismissal, the plaintiffs’ legal team has made clear they intend to continue pursuing the case.

The duo has since secured a federal copyright registration for “Greasy Frybread,” which could allow them to refile in a different court.

The ruling adds to a string of courtroom victories for Cardi B, who was recently found not liable in a separate $24 million assault and battery lawsuit. She has also previously prevailed in defamation and copyright-related cases.

The dismissal marks a temporary win, but with the core allegations unresolved, the dispute over “Enough (Miami)” continues.