Smashing Pumpkins Sue Virgin Over Pepsi Ads

The Smashing Pumpkins are suing Virgin Records, claiming the company illegally used the band's name and music in ads for Pepsi and Amazon.com, the Guardian reports. The rockers' contract does not allow using the band in promotional campaigns such as the Pepsi Stuff ads, and members would “never grant such authority" that undermines "artistic integrity," the suit charges. EMI, which owns Virgin, declined to comment.

It's not the first time the band has clashed with Virgin. Before breaking up for six years, the Smashing Pumpkins gave away an album for free on the internet in 2000 following a dispute with the record company. Today, partnerships between big brands and big bands aren’t unusual, but tensions between artists and labels are increasing as the struggling music industry searches for new ways to earn cash. (More Smashing Pumpkins stories.)