Paraguayan songs irregularly registered in US: legal actions analyzed
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Paraguayan music rights representative Carlos Pavón alleges that several local songs were irregularly registered in the United States.
- A specific song, "Cada día" by Kchiporros and Miky Napout, was found registered under the name Wilson Javier González in the BMI database.
- Pavón claims González is falsely credited with numerous Paraguayan folk and contemporary songs, and legal actions are being considered both domestically and internationally.
A Paraguayan music rights representative has raised concerns over the alleged irregular registration of local songs in the United States, potentially involving intellectual property theft. Carlos Pavón, representing Apoha Music Publishing, stated that his firm discovered discrepancies while reviewing international intellectual property databases.
During a routine check of the Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) database, Pavón's firm found that "Cada día," a song by Paraguayan artists Kchiporros and Miky Napout, was registered under the name Wilson Javier González. Pavón asserted that González is falsely credited with 307 songs in the BMI database, including iconic Paraguayan folk songs like "Areko cuatro kuña" by Quemil Yambay and "Despierta mi Angelina" by Emiliano R. Fernández, as well as tracks by contemporary artists.
Pavón informed Autores Paraguayos Asociados (APA), Paraguay's intellectual property regulatory body, about the issue in May. APA reportedly held an informational meeting with affected members this month. While Pavón has received information suggesting Wilson González is a Paraguayan musician residing in Ciudad del Este, he stressed this remains unconfirmed.
Apoha Music Publishing is currently evaluating legal options in both Paraguay and the United States. Pavón indicated that beyond copyright infringement, the case could involve criminal charges such as money laundering or tax evasion in the U.S., given that any royalties collected there would have passed through the American financial system.
These are songs that I know for a fact do not belong to any Wilson González.
Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.