The Beastie Boys have filed a lawsuit against Brinker International, the parent company of Chili's, alleging unauthorized use of their hit song 'Sabotage' in a recent advertisement. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York, claims that Chili's ad featured significant portions of 'Sabotage' and imitated the iconic music video of the song.
'Sabotage,' released in 1994, was a major success for The Beastie Boys, known for its distinctive sound and memorable music video. The video featured the band members in wigs, fake mustaches, and sunglasses, parodying 1970s crime television shows.
The legal action accuses Brinker International of creating a social media ad for Chili's in 2022 that incorporated parts of 'Sabotage' alongside a video depicting three individuals in 1970s-style disguises stealing ingredients from a Chili's restaurant.
The lawsuit was brought by surviving Beastie Boys members Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond, as well as the executor of the estate of Adam Yauch, a band member who passed away in 2012. Yauch, in his will, explicitly prohibited the use of his music in advertisements.
This is not the first time The Beastie Boys have taken legal action to protect their music. In 2014, the group won a $1.7 million copyright violation case against the maker of Monster Energy drink for unauthorized use of one of their songs.
