Surviving members claim GoldieBlox advert isn't fair use

The Beastie Boys have issued complaints against toy company GoldieBlox, alleging that their parody of 'Girls' infringes the band's copyright.

The advert in question is a viral campaign from the toy company that pastiches the famous track, reversing the misogynistic lyrics of the original in order to empower women. So far the video has amassed over 7 million views since it was posted on November 17.

Watch the GoldieBlox commercial below

The surviving members of the iconic rap group have since threatened to issue a lawsuit against the company, who themselves have issued a statement.

"GoldieBlox created its parody video with specific goals to make fun of the Beastie Boys song, and to further the company's goal to break down gender stereotypes and to encourage young girls to engage in activities that challenge their intellect, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. The GoldieBlox 'Girls' Parody Video has gone viral on the Internet, and has been recognized by the press and the public as a parody and criticism of the original song."

The Hollywood Reporter has compared the lyrics of the two versions, with the original reading: "Girls - to do the dishes/Girls - to clean up my room/Girls - to do the laundry/Girls - and in the bathroom/Girls, that's all I really want is girls". The GoldieBlox version reads "Girls to build the spaceship/Girls to code the new app/Girls to grow up knowing/That they can engineer that/Girls/That's all we really need is Girls."

Below, remembering the Beastie Boys in commemoration of Adam Yauch