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Philadelphia Business Lawyer: Monster Energy Settles Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

Monster Beverage Corp. (Monster) recently settled a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by the Beastie Boys. The claim arose after Monster released a four-minute long commercial for a Canadian snowboarding competition. The video featured five Beastie Boys’ tracks without the group’s permission. The Beastie Boys then filed a lawsuit, asserting that the commercial use of their songs lead the public to think that they had endorsed the company’s energy drink, Monster Energy, when they did not.

The band won the lawsuit on its merits and were subsequently awarded $1.7 million plus an additional $667,000 in legal fees. However, Monster appealed on grounds that the award was unreasonably high. The Beastie Boys settled the case with Monster before the appeal was adjudicated for an undisclosed amount.

Philadelphia Business Litigation Lawyers at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green Represent Victims of Copyright Infringement

At Sidkoff, Pincus & Green, our experienced team of Philadelphia business litigation lawyers handle all types of legal matters, including claims of trademark and copyright infringement. If you believe your business is the victim of copyright infringement, contact us at 215-574-0600 or fill out our online contact form today.