Apparently “dope” does not equal consent. The Beastie Boys were awarded $1.7 million in their lawsuit against energy-drink maker Monster, which the band accused of using its songs in a promotional video without consent. At the heart of the lawsuit was a misunderstanding over the meaning of the word “dope.” When an employee from Monster sent a member of the band a rough cut of the medley, the bandmember wrote back “Dope,” which the employee took to mean “go ahead.” However, when band member Adam Yauch died, his will stipulated that none of the band’s songs could be used for advertising purposes. Monster admitted it had infringed on the group’s copyright, but believed it only owed $25,000, not the $2.5 million sought by the group. “Although Monster Energy has great respect for the verdict of the jury, we strongly disagree with it,” said a lawyer for the company, which plans to appeal. While the band did not release a statement, Adam “Ad-Rock” Horowitz declared, “We’re happy. We just want to thank the jury.”
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