YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Black Keys settle cases over music in commercials

    LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Black Keys told a federal judge the band has settled copyright infringement lawsuits against Pizza Hut and The Home Depot claiming misuse of their music in commercials.

    The band alleged the song "Lonely Boy" was improperly used to sell power tools, and "Gold on the Ceiling" to sell pizza. The Grammy-winning band sued in June. Both companies denied copying the songs.

    Attorneys for the band informed a federal judge in Los Angeles of the Pizza Hut settlement on Monday. The settlement agreement with The Home Depot was reached earlier this month.

    No details of the settlements were included in court filings. Stephen Holmes, a spokesman for The Home Depot, and a publicist for the band didn't have an immediate comment. A representative for Pizza Hut did not return a message seeking comment.

    Attorneys expect to file formal dismissals by early January, according to court filings.

    Both songs appeared on the rock group's seventh album, "El Camino," which was released last year and has sold more than a million copies.

    The Black Keys are comprised of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Musician-producer Brian Burton, who is known as Danger Mouse, also sued the companies.

    "Lonely Boy" and "Gold on the Ceiling" both topped the Billboard alternative music chart after being released.

    The Black Keys won two Grammy Awards in 2010 for music from their album "Brothers," which won the Best Alternative Music Album award that year.

    News for You

    • Restaurant learns online reviews can make or break

      SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — It was the customer service disaster heard around the Internet.

    • Attorney: Donald Trump lied on stand

      CHICAGO (AP) — The attorney for an 87-year-old woman who accuses Donald Trump of cheating her in a skyscraper condo deal told Chicago jurors on Wednesday that he was personally repulsed by the "Apprentice" star whom he said lied on the witness stand.

    • Debbie Reynolds: We all knew Liberace was gay

      BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — In the new film "Behind the Candelabra," veteran entertainer Debbie Reynolds has just three major scenes to flesh out one of the most complicated figures in piano-playing showman Liberace's life: his loving but sometimes manipulative mother Frances.

    • 87-year-old woman loses to Trump in civil case

      CHICAGO (AP) — An 87-year-old grandmother took on billionaire Donald Trump. And on Thursday, she lost.

    • Obama in heated exchanges with Code Pink anti-war protester

      WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The woman who interrupted President Barack Obama's speech on counterterrorism policy on Thursday is well-known around Washington as a perennial protester on national security issues. Medea Benjamin, a founder of anti-war women's group Code Pink, began demonstrating years ago on Capitol Hill, becoming an almost routine presence at hearings where high-ranking officials of the Bush administration appeared to talk about the Iraq war. ...

    • CBS up, 'Idol' down as traditional TV season ends

      NEW YORK (AP) — CBS strengthened its dominance over the television industry this year at the same time that the unprecedented reign of "American Idol" came to a close.