Beastie Boy bans brand Sabotage
The late Beastie Boy member Adam Yauch ensured his ban on the rap band’s music being used in advertising will continue after his death by writing it into his will.
Yauch, who died of cancer earlier this year, used his will to prevent marketers from ever gaining access to his music, image, name of any other part of his considerable creative legacy.
The will was filed a New York Court earlier this week. It states: “…in no event may my image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes.”
The phrase “or any music or any artistic property created by me” was a handwritten addition, according to Rolling Stone magazine, which has seen the document.
Yauch founded the Beastie Boys with fellow rappers Ad-Rock and Mike D in the 80s, and enjoyed a number of enduring international hits, including Fight for Your Right (to Party).
Advertisers such as Apple have used images of dead famous people in campaigns. The technology giant’s 1997 Think Different campaign featured John Lennon, Martin Luther King Jr and Gandhi, for example.
This week also saw Ad-Rock and Mike D take legal action against US energy drink company Monster over allegations it has been using Beastie Boys tracks in a promotional video and downloadable audio file without their permission.
