The Beastie Boys, Universal Music Group (UMG), and Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s, have finally settled their legal fight over the unauthorized use of “Sabotage” in social media ads. The court papers filed on May 21 indicate that all parties have reached an agreement to end the case.
The issue started with a Chili’s ad from November 2022. According to court documents obtained by , the advertisement featured “three characters wearing obvious 70s-style wigs, fake mustaches, and sunglasses, who were intended to evoke the three members of the Beastie Boys,” very similar to the music video starring the Beastie Boys.
Using their song “Sabotage” and imitating their music video for the ad without their permission allegedly infringed on the group’s ownership of the song, protected by the US Copyright Office.
“The plaintiffs do not license ‘Sabotage’ or any of their other intellectual property for third-party product advertising purposes, and deceased Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch included a provision in his will prohibiting such uses,” the lawsuit stated.
The band wanted nothing less than $150,000 for copyright breach. While the final sum stays private, both sides must file dismissal papers by July 7. The case marks another win for the group’s strict control of their music.
In a twist, UMG filed its own case. They claim Brinker used other tracks from various artists, including Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and The Weeknd, in multiple Chili’s social media ads without their permission.
Since Adam Yauch’s (stage name MCA) death in 2012, the band has kept a tight watch on their songs. Back in 2024, they won $1.7 million in a similar case against Monster Energy when the drink maker used their music without asking.
Brinker International, which operates over 1,600 Chili’s locations and 53 Maggiano’s restaurants, must now finalize deals in both New York and Dallas courts to put this matter behind them.
