GoldieBlox Settles Lawsuit Against Beastie Boys Over Use Of Parody Song

Still cute, no longer suing.

Still cute, no longer suing.

Back in November of last year, the toy company GoldiBlox found itself with a hit commercial on its hands, showing little girls learning the joys of engineering while playing. The only problem? The ad used a parody of the Beastie Boys’ hit “Girls,” prompting GoldieBlox to preemptively sue the band, lest it sue for copyright infringement. After getting countersued by the Beastie Boys, the toymakers have decided to settle the suit.

The legal battle appears to be over, at least from GoldieBlox’s side of things, reports the Oakland Tribune. GoldieBlox settled the legal action it aimed at the Beastie Boys, without any details of the setttlement released at the time.

There’s paperwork on the books, however, noting that both sides have agreed to the dismissal of the claim filed against the band.

Though the company changed the video later in November to replace the “Girls” song with another one, Beastie Boys countersued the company in December. It’s not clear whether that lawsuit will also go away, however. The band has a long history of refusing to allow its work to be used for commercial purposes, even one as adorable as creative little girls building a Rube Goldberg-esque contraption.

Oakland toymaker Goldieblox settles suit against Beastie Boys [Oakland Tribune]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.