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Unlicensed to shill: Adam Yauch's will says no to Beastie Boys songs in advertising

Unlicensed to shill: Adam Yauch's will says no to Beastie Boys songs in advertising

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Deceased Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch's will states that his likeness and music aren't to be used for advertising purposes.

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adam yauch (flickr)
adam yauch (flickr)

Deceased Beastie Boys MC Adam Yauch may have had more rhymes than he had grey hairs — eight studio albums’ worth of material — but thanks to a clause in his will, advertisers won’t be touching any of them. According to Rolling Stone, the document states that "notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in no event may my image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes."

An article posted on DNA Info discusses the will, filed on Tuesday, which puts the entirety of Yauch's $6.4 million estate into a trust for his wife and daughter. Also, in a bizarre coincidence, the band just filed a copyright suit against Monster Energy Drink for a promotional video and downloadable MP3 mega-mix it claims heavily feature its music. Some might argue that refusing to do advertising could make it harder to expose new fans to the group's material, but we’re sure Yauch is resting peacefully knowing that his songs will never be used to hawk the likes of Filas, Oakleys, or stonewashed jeans.