Beastie Boys win $2m in damages from Monster energy drink

The Beastie Boys are US$1.7million (S$2.12 million) richer after they won the suit against Monster energy drinks for copyright infringement.

The Guardian reported that jurors deliberated for a day before ordering the beverage firm to pay for its unauthorised use of the Beastie Boys' iconography and multiple songs for a 2012 YouTube video.

"We're happy," Adam 'Ad Rock' Horovitz (picture below) said after the New York court's decision. 

According to The Rolling Stone, despite not being awarded the full US$2.5 million the group had asked for the court's final ruling was well above Monster's suggested fine of US$125,000.

The fortnightly explained that two years ago, Monster hired DJ Z-Trip to play at a sponsored party. A five-song Beastie Boys 'megamix' was part of his performance. 

Monster's court filings stated that the company believed that they owned the rights to the megamix and were therefore permitted to use it in a new promo video for a snowboarding event sponsored by the company.

It had admitted to infringement and requested the court to award a relatively small penalty because fewer than 15,000 people had watched the clip in the two weeks the video was online.

The company has reportedly said it will appeal.

Sources: The Guardian and The Rolling Stone