The Beastie Boys (Fabio Diena / Shutterstock)
NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — The Beastie Boys have filed a lawsuit against Brinker International, owner of the Chili’s restaurant chain, alleging that the company used the Beastie Boy’s 1994 song “Sabotage” in marketing material without permission.
In the suit, which was filed in federal court in New York’s Southern District on Wednesday, the group alleged that Chili’s unlawfully used material that included musical compositions and sound recordings in marketing material on social media without obtaining a license.
Additionally, the marketing material was alleged to have included three individuals who were “intended to evoke the three members of Beastie Boys performed scenes depicting them “robbing” ingredients from a Chili’s” restaurant” in a way that was similar to the original “Sabotage” music video.
The Beastie Boys, through their lawsuit, alleged that the use of the Beastie Boys Marks, and unauthorized use of plaintiffs Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, and the late Adam Yauch voice and likeness falsely led fans to believe that the Beastie Boys endorsed Chili’s, constituting an alleged violation of the Lanham act.
Through the suit, the Beastie Boys and their partnership, Brooklyn Dust, are seeking a permanent injunction against Chili’s from continuing to use marketing material that infringes on the band’s copyrights, along with statutory damages, attorneys fees, and three times the profit realized from the marketing campaign.
Brinker International did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
