In 2013, The Beastie Boys filed suit against the girl-oriented, creative toy company GoldieBlox. Not for the money, but for the principle. GoldieBlox had created a derivative of the band’s song “Girls” and used the new version in a video promo. When the case settled months later, the agreement included an apology to the band and “a payment by GoldieBlox, based on a percentage of its revenues, to one or more charities selected by Beastie Boys that support science, technology, engineering and mathematics education for girls,” according to Rolling Stone.
The Beastie Boys didn’t want the money for themselves, and the band was supportive of GoldieBlox’s general objectives and messaging. But they filed suit for the simple reason that they have never allowed its music to be used for commercial advertising.
We know many creators think of copyright in terms of legal action they might never take. And so, they see no reason to register and protect their works. But quite often, even creators willing to allow a liberal amount of sharing of their work will discover uses they find objectionable for personal reasons. Your work might be used to advertise a product you don’t like or promote an organization or political agenda you don’t support. And unfortunately, this happens all day long on social media.
If your creative work is used without permission, it’s copyright infringement. The decision to take legal action is always up to you. But having the option to fully enforce your rights makes a difference when you discover that infringement you’re just not willing to let go.
