As a long-time fan of the Beastie Boys, I can’t help but feel a mix of admiration and frustration towards their ongoing legal battles. The group has always been known for their strong stance against commercial exploitation of their music, which is something I deeply respect.
The Beastie Boys have taken legal action against Brinker International, the franchisee of 30 Chili’s Grill & Bar restaurants in New York, accusing them of copyright violation and trademark misuse.
After Chili’s revealed their humorous ad inspired by the 1994 rap hit “Sabotage” and its retro ’70s music video directed by Spike Jonze, the suit followed.
The lawsuit claims that the advertisement, which depicted three individuals with conspicuous 70s-wig, fake mustache, and sunglasses, was intended to bring to mind the trio of Beastie Boys members – Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, Michael “Mike D” Diamond, and the late Adam “MCA” Yauch.
As a movie lover and in simpler terms, I wouldn’t have the right to use “Sabotage” in my advertisement, be it the sound recording, music composition, or video footage. The creators of the film haven’t given me their permission for this purpose. In fact, they explicitly state that they don’t grant licenses for third-party product advertising with their intellectual property, including “Sabotage.” My use could lead to a misconception that they endorsed or approved my product.
× In each instance of copyright infringement, the plaintiff is requesting compensation amounting to $150,000, including attorney fees and three times the earnings derived from any misrepresentations. Additionally, they are insisting that Brinker discontinue use of their music and likenesses, and remove the ad from circulation.
The Beastie Boys are known for strongly opposing the use of their brand in commercial endorsements. According to Yauch’s will, his likeness, music, and artwork cannot be exploited for advertising purposes.
If they achieve victory again, this would mark the third instance in which the Beastie Boys have prevailed against a corporation for using their music without permission in recent history. In 2013, GoldieBlox, a toy company, faced legal action from the group for employing “Girls,” their 1987 hit single, in an advertisement. The company acknowledged its mistake and made a charitable donation as part of the resolution.
In 2014, the Beastie Boys were awarded a $1.7 million compensation from Monster Energy Drink’s manufacturers for unauthorized use of their songs “Sabotage,” “So What’cha Want,” “Make Some Noise,” and “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun” in a promotional video and as a free download.
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2024-07-18 20:36