Beastie Boys To GoldieBlox: You Use Our Song And Then Sue Us?!!

(AllHipHop News) The Beastie Boys does not want anyone using their “Girls” without their expressed consent. After toy company Goldieblox sued the Beastie Boys for “threatening copyright infringement” for their commercial, the group responds with a resounding “HUH?!”

On November 17th, GoldieBlox released their commercial “Princess Machine ( a concert for little girls)” featuring and a Rube Goldberg-type toy and  it contained a parodied version of the Beastie Boys’ song ” Girls” featuring different lyrics. According to the toy company in a lawsuit they filed against the Beastie Boys and Island Def Jam last Thursday (Nov. 22nd) claims The Beastie Boys “threatened GoldieBlox with copyright infringement.”

However, in a recently released statement from the group, the Beastie Boys simply requested additional information on the video and commercial and does not explicitly say they threatened copyright infringment:

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.

The Goldieblox are seeking a declaratory relief of the video and claim it is under fair use as it is not a direct copy of the Beastie Boys’ song but a satirical critique. According to the lawsuit, Goldieblox was consciously appealing to one of the factors a judge will review in this case, the purpose and character of the use:

GoldieBlox created its parody video with specific goals to make fun of the Beastie Boys song, and to further the company’s goal to break down gender stereotypes and to encourage young girls to engage in activities that challenge their intellect, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. The GoldieBlox Girls Parody Video has gone viral on the Internet and has been recognized by the press and the public as a parody and criticism of the original song.

The song “Girls” was originally released as the seventh and final single from the Beastie Boy’s debut album Licensed to Ill in May of 1987. There is no word on if the Beastie Boys or Island Def Jam plan to countersue for copyright infringement at the time. Check out the full Beastie Boys press release and Goldieblox commercial below:

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.