Beastie Boys emerge victorious in Monster copyright lawsuit

As we discussed recently, the music group the Beastie Boys had sued Monster Energy Drink for alleged copyright infringement in 2012, and the case had recently moved forward. The case centered around promotional materials that Monster had created for promoting their events, which were alleged to have used Beastie Boys' songs without permission.

The Beastie Boys have emerged victorious in this copyright lawsuit. As the Associated Press reports, the group was awarded $1.7 million in the case. According to the source, the Beastie Boys sought $2 million, while Monster Energy Drink argued that $125,000 should be the limit to its damages. 

It turned out that Monster had infringed upon five Beastie Boys songs, and committed ten copyright violations, for which each were awarded $120,000. Monster admitted to having willfully infringed upon the group's work. It was additionally determined that Monster had also used the band's persona to promote their product, and the jury decided to award an additional $500,000 for this false endorsement. 

In May of 2012, Beastie Boys' member Adam Yauch passed away, and the remaining members pointed out that they depend on their work as a source of revenue, according to the article. Additionally, the band had said it would not let its work be used for advertising purposes, and this was something that Yauch also requested in his will. 

This point highlights the value that intellectual property has, and the need to protect it from and defend it against infringement. The issue of intellectual property infringement extends beyond the music industry, as it can affect patented technologies and other aspects of many industries. 

Businesses in Arizona can consult a Phoenix business attorney to learn more about intellectual property and how to protect valued assets from copyright infringement. 

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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