Beastie Boys Elaborate On Copyright Infringement Suit

November 25th, 2013

Kyle Florence

This past weekend, it was reported that Beastie Boys were threatening to sue the toy company GoldieBlox for copyright infringement over the use of their song “Girls” in the company’s newest commercial. Today, the hip-hop trendsetters went a step further and published an open letter to the company, further elaborating on their decision.

According to The New York Times, the group admitted that they were “impressed by the creativity and the message” of the advertisement, noting that they “strongly support empowering young girls, breaking down gender stereotypes, and igniting a passion for technology and engineering.” Still, the group maintained that the “video is an advertisement that is designed to sell a product, and long ago, we made a conscious decision not to permit our music and/or name to be used in product ads.”

Attorneys representing GoldieBlox are persistent that the video falls under fair use as it was created “specifically to comment on the Beastie Boys song, and to further the company’s goal to break down gender stereotypes,” and had likewise “been recognized by the press and the public as a parody and criticism of the original song.”

As always, UTG will keep you up-to-date as this story continues to develop throughout the week. In the meantime, you can view GoldieBlox’s advertisement below and form your own opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFpe3Up9T_g