Beastie Boys hit Monster Energy Drink with $2.4 million lawsuit

The Beastie Boys are taking Monster Energy Drinks back to court over unauthorized music use, with a lawsuit demanding $2.4 million in restitution.

In June 2014 the group was awarded $1.7 million by a jury, for songs the makers of Monster energy drinks allegedly stole for promotional purposes. Monster used parts of pieces such as "Sabotage," "So What'cha Want," "Make Some Noise" and "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun" online promo video it created. The Guardian reported that the energy drink company "admitted to infringing on the Beastie Boys' work, arguing that it had been an honest mistake. The brand hired DJ Z-Trip to play at a Monster-sponsored party, which featured a five-song Beastie Boys megamix they erroneously believed that they owned the rights to."

Now the Beastie Boys are seeking another $2.4 million, the amount of the legal fees spent over the course of the litigation. The rappers claim that Monster's legal tactics significantly increased the costs of defending their intellectual property rights, and that the jury award is dominated by attorney's fees. The group offered to make a deal after the trial, to avoid further litigation expenses, but Monster refused to cooperate.

Founding member of the Beastie Boys Adam "MCA" Yauch, who passed away in 2012 after complications from cancer, demanded in his will that the rappers's music never be used for advertisement purposes. Since then other members of the hip-hop band have done their best to ensure his wishes are respected.

Copyright and intellectual property law infractions occur frequently. If your work involves copyrighted material work with an experienced business attorney to avoid any possible litigation.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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