Three months after Adam “MCA” Yauch’s untimely death, Beastie Boys are back in the news. The kings of alt-hip-hop are suing Monster Energy Corporation for copyright infringement and intellectual property violations. The energy drink makers reportedly used “Sabotage,” “So Whatcha Want,” and “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun” in a recent ad campaign.
The advertisements were all for Monster’s Ruckus in the Rockies, which took place the day after Yauch’s death, inspiring a number of participating DJs to incorporate some Beastie Boys tracks into their sets.
The Boys’ suit states that “The text accompanying Monster’s internet postings, video and MP3 conveyed to consumers the impression that Beast Boys permitted the use of their name and intellectual property, and participated in connection with Monster’s promotion of its products.”
This development comes in the wake of news that Yauch’s will deliberately forbids the use of any Beastie Boys songs in future advertisements.
[via HipHopDX]
