The Beastie Boys sue Chili’s parent company over alleged misuse of ‘Sabotage’ song in ad

NEW YORK (AP) — The Beastie Boys are suing the parent company of Chili’s in a case that accuses the chain restaurant of running an advertisement that used the hip-hop trio’s smash hit “Sabotage” without permission.

The rap group, in a federal case filed Wednesday in New York, alleged Brinker International created a Chili’s ad that used significant portions of “Sabotage” and ripped off the song’s music video.

Brinker International did not immediately return an email seeking comment. The court filings did not list an attorney for Brinker.

Debuting in 1994, “Sabotage” became a huge hit for The Beastie Boys, and its accompanying music video, where the group’s three members donned wigs, fake mustaches and sunglasses in a parody of 1970s crime television shows, is one of the most recognizable in the genre.

The lawsuit accused Brinker of creating a Chili’s social media ad in 2022 that used parts of the song alongside a video of three people wearing 1970’s-style disguises stealing ingredients from a Chili’s restaurant.

The case was filed by surviving Beastie Boys members Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond, along with the executor of the estate of Adam Yauch, a band member who died of cancer in 2012. Yauch, in his will, specifically barred the use of his music in advertisements.

The Beastie Boys in 2014 won $1.7 million in a copyright violation case against the maker of Monster Energy drink for the company’s unauthorized use of one of the group’s songs.