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Beastie Boys‘ courtroom scrap with toy company Goldieblox has come to an end. 

Some back-of-fag-packet context: November 2013 saw the Beasties become embroiled in a legal tussle with Goldieblox, who manufacture educational toys designed to foster an interest in technology in young girls. The dispute centred around a two-minute GoldieBlox ad, featuring a rewritten version of Beastie Boys’ 1987 track ‘Girls’. The group took umbrage, threatening GoldieBlox with a copyright infringement lawsuit. GoldieBlox then retorted with their own suit, which claimed the ad constituted fair use and asked for declaratory relief.

The now-familiar parade of open letters followed: the Beasties justified their position by claiming their stance has always been “not to permit our music and/or name to be used in product ads”, however laudable the company, and that recently deceased band member Adam Yaunch had expressly prevented it in his will; GoldieBlox followed suit with their own missive and promised to pull the ad as a gesture of goodwill. Last twist: Beastie Boys then took GoldieBlox to court,  requesting all revenue resulting from the YouTube advertisement.

The Hollywood Reporter claim that a settlement has now been reached between both parties. The case has now been dismissed without prejudice, although the terms of the agreement have not been made public.

It’s not the only out-of-court settlement to make the news in the last week: Pharrell Williams and will.i.am’s battle over the copyright to the trademark “I am” has also reached a similar conclusion.

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