Ad-Rock stifles smiles on the stand at opening day of Beastie Boys copyright case

Rapper is shown giant poster of his bandmate, Mike D, dressed in a sailor suit

The surviving members of the Beastie Boys appeared in court yesterday in their case against Monster Beverage Corp opened.

The case centres on a video created by the corporation which used five Beastie Boys songs in a “Beastie Boys Megamix” and flashed the message “RIP MCA” on screen. The late Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch’s stated in his will that his likeness or art, including his work with the Beastie Boys, was not to be used for advertising purposes.

The band are seeking $1million (£600,000) in damages for the song licenses and another $1 million for the “implied endorsement” of being featured in the Monster video. The defence acknowledges they infringed on the Beasties Boys’ copyright but are seeking to pay $125,000 (£75,000) damages.

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Appearing at Thurgood Marshall Courthouse in New York’s Financial District, Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horovitz stifled smiles as he was required to explain, in some detail, rudimentary details about the music industry, including what a single is, reports Billboard.

At one point, a promotional image of Mike Diamond, dressed in a boating outfit for Nixon watches, was shown to the court. Asked if it was Mike D wearing the sailor costume, Horovitz replied, apparently stifling a laugh, “He sure is.”

The case is expected to take five or six days to reach a conclusion.

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