Beastie Boys are currently tied up in litigation with Bay Area toy company GoldieBlox, who parodied the band's song "Girls" in a new viral marketing campaign. Now, the Beasties have issued a statement clarifying their stance on the issue.
In the letter, the rap group explain that, while they support the song's message of female empowerment, the video is still an advertisement intended to sell a product. They have a blanket policy to not license their music for use in commercials, and late member Adam Yauch included a clause in his will prohibiting their songs from appearing in ads.
When the Beasties reached out GoldieBlox to discuss the matter, the toymakers responded by suing the band (and not the other way around).
The folks at GoldieBlox said their lawsuit was a response to threats of legal action from the group. They claim that their version of "Girls" is fair game, since it "has been recognized by the press and the public as a parody and criticism of the original song."
Read the Beastie Boys' statement below [via the New York Times].
Like many of the millions of people who have seen your toy commercial "GoldieBlox, Rube Goldberg & the Beastie Boys," we were very impressed by the creativity and the message behind your ad.
We strongly support empowering young girls, breaking down gender stereotypes and igniting a passion for technology and engineering.
As creative as it is, make no mistake, your 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.
When we tried to simply ask how and why our song "Girls" had been used in your ad without our permission, YOU sued US.
In the letter, the rap group explain that, while they support the song's message of female empowerment, the video is still an advertisement intended to sell a product. They have a blanket policy to not license their music for use in commercials, and late member Adam Yauch included a clause in his will prohibiting their songs from appearing in ads.
When the Beasties reached out GoldieBlox to discuss the matter, the toymakers responded by suing the band (and not the other way around).
The folks at GoldieBlox said their lawsuit was a response to threats of legal action from the group. They claim that their version of "Girls" is fair game, since it "has been recognized by the press and the public as a parody and criticism of the original song."
Read the Beastie Boys' statement below [via the New York Times].
Like many of the millions of people who have seen your toy commercial "GoldieBlox, Rube Goldberg & the Beastie Boys," we were very impressed by the creativity and the message behind your ad.
We strongly support empowering young girls, breaking down gender stereotypes and igniting a passion for technology and engineering.
As creative as it is, make no mistake, your 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.
When we tried to simply ask how and why our song "Girls" had been used in your ad without our permission, YOU sued US.
