Photo Credit: Scatman John Official YouTube Channel

The Danish indie label behind Scatman John has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Spanish artists Moncho Chavea and Morad over a scat sample.

Iceberg Records, the Danish independent label behind the late jazz musician Scatman John, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Spanish singer Moncho Chavea and Moroccan-Spanish rapper Morad. Filed late last month in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the complaint alleges that Moncho and Morad’s use of a sample of “Scatman (ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop)” in their single “Se Fue” was not authorized.

Iceberg Records says it owns 100% of the sound recording rights and 50% of the publishing rights to “Scatman (ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop).” The sound recording was registered with the U.S. Copyright Office in 1995, while the composition was registered in 1997.

According to the complaint, Iceberg Records “discovered that Defendants had used Plaintiff’s sound recording and composition […] in ‘Se Fue’ without authorization.”

“After comparing the tracks, it is apparent that the Derivative Work and the Scatman Song are so strikingly similar that Defendants have used the sound recording of the Scatman Song, as well as the composition,” states the filing. “Defendants made no discernible attempt to manipulate the sound recording to hide their infringement.”

“Se Fue” was released in late 2024 and has enjoyed over 16 million views on YouTube. But in November 2025—nearly a year after the track had been released—Iceberg received an email from a representative of the defendants requesting “retroactive clearance” for the sample used.

“At no point did Defendants obtain a license or any other authorization from Plaintiff to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise exploit Plaintiff’s sound recording or publishing interest in the Scatman Song,” the complaint asserts.

Notably, Universal Music Group is named as a co-defendant in the lawsuit, as “Virgin Music Spain is a division of Universal Music Spain SLU, which is a subdivision of UMG.” The song at issue was distributed by Virgin Music Group, according to its release credits on Spotify.

The case is the second copyright infringement lawsuit related to the Scatman song that Iceberg Records has filed in recent years. In March 2024, the label sued the Black Eyed Peas, Daddy Yankee, and Sony Music, alleging that their 2022 track “Bailar Contigo” sampled the Scatman sound recording without a master rights license.

“Scatman (ski-ba-bop-ba-dop-bop)” was recorded in 1993 and released in 1994 by John Larkin, best known as Scatman John. The track was a global hit, and the official music video has over 288 million views on YouTube.

Scatman John was known for combining classic jazz-style scat singing with dance-pop music. He passed away on December 3, 1999, at the age of 57.

Iceberg Records is seeking injunctive relief, actual damages, statutory damages, treble damages under California’s civil theft statute, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and a jury trial.