Beastie Boys Sue Brinker International Over Chili’s Ad Parodying Sabotage
The Beastie Boys have filed a lawsuit against Brinker International, the owner of 30 Chili’s Grill & Bar locations in New York, alleging copyright infringement and trademark rights violations. This legal action follows the release of a Chili’s advertisement parodying the rap group’s 1994 hit “Sabotage” and its ‘70s-themed, Spike Jonze-directed video.
According to the lawsuit, the advertisement features “three characters wearing obvious 70s-style wigs, fake mustaches, and sunglasses,” clearly intended to evoke the three members of the Beastie Boys—Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, Michael “Mike D” Diamond, and the late Adam “MCA” Yauch. The suit claims that the use of the “Sabotage” sound recording, music composition, and video was all without permission. The group asserts that they do “not license ‘Sabotage’ or any of their other intellectual property for third-party product advertising purposes” and argues that the ad falsely implies the group’s endorsement.
The lawsuit seeks $150,000 in damages for each case of copyright violation, attorney fees, and three times the profits from any false representations. Additionally, the Beastie Boys demand that Brinker pull the ad from circulation and refrain from using their music or likenesses in the future.
The Beastie Boys are known for their strong stance against commercial licensing. Adam Yauch’s will specifically prohibits the use of his image, music, and art in any form of advertising for products. If successful, this lawsuit would mark the third victory for the Beastie Boys over unlicensed use of their music in recent years. In 2013, they settled with toy company GoldieBlox after the company parodied their 1987 song “Girls” in an advertisement, leading to an apology and a charitable donation. In 2014, the Beastie Boys won a $1.7 million settlement against Monster Energy Drink for using clips of their songs in a promotional video and a free download without the band’s permission.
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