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Beastie Boys Awarded $1.7 Million

Ad-Rock and Mike DBeastie Boys have been awarded $1.7 million in a copyright lawsuit.

The surviving members of the hip-hop group - Michael "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz - have been handed the payout after winning their legal case against Monster Beverage Corporation, which they sued for the unauthorized use of their music in a video advert.

The commercial featured five of the "Fight For Your Right" hitmakers' songs in a "Beastie Boys Megamix" and a message which read, "RIP MCA" to promote a show in 2012.

The groups' final member Adam "MCA" Yauch, who passed away in the same year after a three-year battle with salivary gland cancer, stated in his will that his likeness or art - which includes the music he made with Beastie Boys - was not to be used in any promotional material. "In no event may my image or name or any music or artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes," the document read.

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Pink Wins Debut Album Royalties Court Case

PinkPink's court case against Specialists Entertainment production company has been dismissed.

The singer's record label Sony Music will get to keep the $36,213.31 they were accused of withholding in royalties to two producers, who claimed they were owed the cash for working on two tracks, "Hiccup" and "Can't Take Me Home," from the star's 2000 debut album of the same name.

According to RadarOnline.com, a New York appeal court sided with Pink - real name Alecia Moore - and her label on March 4 and have dismissed the case. The site reports that the legal documents explained that "granted plaintiff's cross motion to amend its complaint to add a lain for breach of contract as a third-party beneficiary as against defendant Sony Music Holdings, Inc., unanimously reversed, on the law, without costs, the cross motion denied, and the complaint dismissed. The agreement, requesting and authorizing Sony to deduct a portion of royalties payable to Moore and to pay them directly to plaintiff, by its express terms, negates any intent to permit enforcement by third-parties."

It was ruled the producers cannot claim money from Sony because the agreement was with Pink.

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Madonna Wins “Vogue” Lawsuit

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Industry News, Pop,

MadonnaMadonna has won a lawsuit over her track "Vogue."

The "Music" singer's 1990 track was subject of a court case brought by VMG Salsoul, who claim producer Robert "Shep" Pettibone illegally sampled two horn hits from the 1983 track "Love Break" by the Salsoul Orchestra, a track which was, in turn, a remix of their 1976 song "Chicago Bus Stop."

VMG Salsoul claimed new technology enabled them to prove the horns were a sample when they filed the lawsuit earlier this year. Further complicating matters, Robert was the person who remixed "Love Break." The judge eventually decided it didn't matter whether the horns were a sample or not, as he ruled in Madonna's favor, saying the average listener would not notice.

"Having listened to the sound recordings of 'Chicago Bus Stop,' 'Love Break,' and 'Vogue,' the court finds that no reasonable audience would find the sampled portions qualitatively or quantitatively significant in relation to the infringing work, nor would they recognize the appropriation. The Court finds that any sampling of the horn hit was de minimis [sic] or trivial," Californian District Judge Beverly O'Connell said in her ruling.

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