The Beastie Boys have agreed to end their legal battle with Chili’s after a prolonged dispute that had fans and copyright enthusiasts raising eyebrows. The rap-rock pioneers sued the parent company of the restaurant chain last year, alleging the brand served up a promo campaign that stole a bit too heavily from their era-defining 1994 hard rocker “Sabotage.”
Both parties have made a confidential settlement, as per newly released court documents from a mediation scheduled just 2 weeks ago. Although the specifics of the settlement are being kept confidential on an “in a vault like the secret formula for soft drink with the red label” level, all appears to be well between both the Beastie Boys and UMG, their record label, for them to call it a day.
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At the center of the dispute? A social media ad that Chili’s cooked up on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms. The video depicted three wigged-out men on a ‘70s-styled cop-show romp through a wacky food ingredient heist, a not-so-vaguely veiled tribute to the Beastie Boys’ seminal “Sabotage” music video. Fans of the group quickly recognized the parallels, from the fashion to the funky energy, and the group’s legal team pounced with a complaint of copyright infringement.
But the problem wasn’t yet confined to the Beastie Boys alone. UMG also lobbed allegations that Chili’s had used songs by a vast array of pop royalty, among them Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, and The Weeknd, without obtaining the proper sync licenses. That’s a big no-no in the music industry.
We don’t know if Chili’s paid its way out of a costly fine or promised to behave better in the future; a light has been lit underneath other brands. Jazzing up ads with hit songs might bring the taste, but it also brings the legal heat if you don’t have the proper licenses.
Neither Brinker nor the Beastie Boys have commented publicly since the lawsuit was settled. And while “Sabotage” could have been the soundtrack to this courtroom battle, it seems that both sides decided it was better to make it stop than let the battle rage on.
It’s a quiet resolution to a loud dispute, in the end, and a reminder that even in the wild world of internet ads, the beats you borrow still come with a price tag.
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