Beastie Boys Lose the Fight for their Right…to Full Attorneys’ Fees

On Monday, a federal judge awarded the Beastie Boys far less in attorneys’ fees than they had hoped for. This follows a lawsuit filed by the Beastie Boys against energy drink company Monster Energy Co. for the company’s infringement on Beastie Boys’ songs in a promotional video.

The Beastie Boys had initially requested $2.4 million in attorneys’ fees after their $1.7 million victory over Monster Energy. Instead, the judge’s ruling gave the group $667,000. The judge’s reasoning behind this was that the Beastie Boys chose …

January 21, 2015 Copyright / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation

Beastie Boys Want to Avoid Pyrrhic Victory, Ask For $2.4 Million from Monster

Over the weekend, the Beastie Boys filed with the SDNY, seeking $2.4 million in legal fees from Monster Energy to pay for their recent copyright infringement litigation.

In June, the world-renowned rap group won $1.7 million in a lawsuit against Monster Energy. The Beasties claimed, and Monster admitted during trial, that the energy drink producer used five of their songs without authorization in an online marketing video. The $1.7 million awarded, however, is not enough to cover the extensive legal fees that the band accumulated …

June 10, 2014 Copyright / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark

The Jury Awards Beastie Boys $1.7 Million

The jury in the copyright infringement suit brought by the Beastie Boys awarded the band $1.7 million, a bit short of $2 million it was seeking but much higher than $125,000 defendant Monster said it may owe to the group.

The Beastie Boys sued an energy drink maker Monster for its unauthorized use of the band’s music in a promotional video. In the complaint filed for this case, the group stated that

“[t]he public was confused into believing that plaintiffs sponsored, endorsed and are associated

June 10, 2014 Advertising / Copyright / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark

Beastie Boys Make the Closing Argument against Monster Energy Drink

On June 4, the Beastie Boys’ lawyer Kevin Puvalowski delivered his closing argument in a copyright infringement suit against an energy drink maker Monster. The lawsuit claims that Monster used portions of the band’s songs without a license in its 2012 promotional video.

With the members Michael Diamond or “Mike D” and Adam Horovitz or “Ad-Rock” present in the courtroom, Puvalowski urged the jurors that Monster should pay $2 million in damages for its negligence over its employees “stealing from the Beastie Boys.”

On the …

June 8, 2014 Advertising / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Music

Beastie Boys Trial Against Monster Energy Drinks Begins

In 2012, the Beastie Boys brought suit against Monster Energy Drink, claiming both copyright infringement and unfair competition resulting from Monster’s use of their songs in an online promotional video. The Beastie Boys are seeking $2 Million in damages.

The controversy stems from a promotional video about a snowboarding competition in Canada called “Ruckus in the Rockies,” which is organized and sponsored by Monster. After the event, Monster posted a video online of the competition and the after-party, including a mash-up mix performed by DJ …