The Beastie Boys are $1.7 million richer after winning a copyright lawsuit against drink maker Monster Energy.
The band sued the company after they featured the Beastie Boys “megamix” in a YouTube video.
The megamix was put together by DJ Z-Trip, who gave Monster Energy the OK to use to use his mix for the soundtrack of a four-minute-long recap video of a snowboarding competition sponsored by the company; however approval was never given by the Beastie Boys themselves.
According to Billboard, the video incorporated five Beasties songs — “Sabotage,” “Pass the Mic,” “Make Some Noise,” “So What’cha Want” and “Looking Down the Barrel Of a Gun.”
Monster Energy, admitted to inadvertently infringing upon the Beastie Boys music, but argued that the amount asked for was excessive.
According to Billboard:
Since Monster Energy had admitted its fault in infringing on the Beasties’ work from the outset of the trial, at issue was the amount the company would pay the band for doing so. Diamond and Horovitz were seeking $1 million for the infringement of their song licenses and another $1 million for the implied endorsement. Throughout the week, Monster Energy brought forth witnesses to bolster their contention that $125,000 was a more equitable rate for their copyright toe-stepping.
The jurors in the case disagreed, instead settling for $1.7 million.
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