The hip-hop group, Beastie Boys, had their label, Universal Music Group, settle the lawsuits which accused the restaurant chain, Chili’s for using their music without their permission. The restaurant chain was accused of copyright infringement over social media ad that allegedly parodied their “Sabotage” video and according to an article by Pitchfork, the court records can confirm this. The parent company of Chili’s Grill & Bar, Brinker International, was sued last July. Allegedly, the restaurant used a song from the group’s III Communication album, which led people to falsely assume that the Beastie Boys had endorsed Chili’s. The alleged unlicensed music had appeared in about a dozen of other Chili’s ads, which resulted in Universal Music Group suing Brinker International for their alleged misuse.
The impending settlement for the Beastie Boys follows a mediation between the parties this month. The terms of the agreement have not yet been revealed, however, they expect to file a formal dismissal on July 7, of this year, according to the court document. The ad that the group is suing over features three characters who are wearing 70s-styled wigs, fake mustaches and sunglasses. The style in the ad resembled the style in the 1994 video for “Sabotage.” The group, which does not license songs for third-party advertising, originally sought $150,000 in monetary damages, a takedown of the commercials and an order preventing Brinker from using their work moving forward.
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