This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Artist News Legal
Jackson estate concerned about Mrs Jackson book
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 25 June 2010
So, on the anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson, a legal squabble and TMZ exclusive. That’s apt, right? A legal rep of the Michael Jackson estate has hit out at the previously reported Howard Mann, who has gone into business with the late king of pop’s mother, accusing the Canadian businessman of potentially misleading the Jackson family matriarch, and potentially infringing copyrights or trademarks owned by the estate. Or something like that.
As previously reported, Mann has collaborated with Katherine Jackson on a new photo book called ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’, featuring words and pictures for Jacko’s mother. Mann claims Mrs Jackson has received a record breaking advance from the publisher of the book, which is useful for her, he says, because she is yet to see any serious income from the Jacko estate, despite their various multi-million dollar deals they’ve done, because so many creditors and legal claimants have had to be dealt with first.
Mann also claims to be sitting on 273 previously unreleased Jacko recordings that he acquired when he bought the contents of a Jackson family lock up, sold by a storage company after Joe Jackson failed to keep up to date with payments. TMZ say he has suggested he and Katherine Jackson might release some of those recordings, without involving the estate. Most date from between Jacko’s Motown and Epic record deals, so neither label would have a claim to them.
Commenting on Mann’s projects with the Jackson matriarch, Jacko estate lawyer Howard Weitzman said this week that the Canadian “may be using his relationship with Mrs Jackson to infringe upon Michael Jackson’s copyrights … to the detriment of, among others, Michael’s three kids. He has no right to exploit any estate assets and we will take whatever action is necessary to prevent him from unlawfully profiting”.
But Mann is not impressed with Weitzman’s implied threats. He told TMZ yesterday: “The comments by the lawyers for the estate of Michael Jackson are designed to create fear and ambiguity and may impede our ability to maximize the profits that Vintage Pop [the publisher] and the beneficiaries of the estate are entitled to enjoy. These actions are torturous interference and will NOT be accepted and will result [in] litigation to recover the damages against our company”.
So, one year on from his untimely death, Michael Jackson is still able to contribute to more than his fair share of lawsuits. Away from the legal squabbles, thousands of Jacko fans are expected to pay tribute to the late singer later today on the first anniversary of his passing.
