The people who manage Michael Jackson's estate say The Walt Disney Co. has some nerve for profiting off the tears of Mj's kids and stealing a bunch of its property ... all to make a shoddy TV special they claim never came close to documenting Michael's 'Last Days.' The estate just sued The Walt Disney Co. claiming copyright infringement and saying it never had permission to use a bunch of its footage for...
- 5/30/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
2Nd Update, 12:22 Pm, with details: Michael Jackson’s estate has upped the ante in its beef with ABC over the network’s airing of primetime special The Last Days of Michael Jackson. The estate today filed a lawsuit against the network and its parent Disney that claims ABC used the late singer’s songs, films and videos for the show without permission.
The filing claims the two-hour ABC News special, which aired Thursday, used chunks of the King of Pop’s songs including “Bad” and “Billie Jean” and included snippets of the iconic “Thriller” video and others.
“The extent of Disney’s use of the Estate’s intellectual property in The Last Days of Michael Jackson is truly astounding,” reads the 18-page filing in federal court in California today (read it here). “The program used dozens of copyrighted works owned by the Estate, but obtained no license. In fact,...
The filing claims the two-hour ABC News special, which aired Thursday, used chunks of the King of Pop’s songs including “Bad” and “Billie Jean” and included snippets of the iconic “Thriller” video and others.
“The extent of Disney’s use of the Estate’s intellectual property in The Last Days of Michael Jackson is truly astounding,” reads the 18-page filing in federal court in California today (read it here). “The program used dozens of copyrighted works owned by the Estate, but obtained no license. In fact,...
- 5/30/2018
- by Erik Pedersen and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
The estate of deceased music legend Michael Jackson has filed a lawsuit against ABC and Disney over the special “The Last Days of Michael Jackson.”
The suit, filed in federal court in California on Wednesday, alleges copyright infringement.
The suit says that the plaintiffs — identified as “various companies that comprise a part of the Estate of Michael Jackson –were “genuinely shocked” when they watched the special on March 24.
Also Read: Michael Jackson Estate Calls ABC News Special 'Another Crass and Unauthorized Attempt to Exploit' His Legacy
Calling the special “a mediocre look back at Michael Jackson’s life and entertainment career,” the suit accuses Disney of swiping the estate’s intellectual property.
“Unable to make a compelling presentation about Michael Jackson on its own, Disney decided to exploit the Jackson Estate’s intellectual property without permission or obtaining a license for its use. After all, there is always a healthy...
The suit, filed in federal court in California on Wednesday, alleges copyright infringement.
The suit says that the plaintiffs — identified as “various companies that comprise a part of the Estate of Michael Jackson –were “genuinely shocked” when they watched the special on March 24.
Also Read: Michael Jackson Estate Calls ABC News Special 'Another Crass and Unauthorized Attempt to Exploit' His Legacy
Calling the special “a mediocre look back at Michael Jackson’s life and entertainment career,” the suit accuses Disney of swiping the estate’s intellectual property.
“Unable to make a compelling presentation about Michael Jackson on its own, Disney decided to exploit the Jackson Estate’s intellectual property without permission or obtaining a license for its use. After all, there is always a healthy...
- 5/30/2018
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
The estate of Michael Jackson filed a copyright infringement suit on Wednesday against the Walt Disney Co., alleging that an ABC television special used Jackson’s songs and videos without permission.
The suit surrounds “The Last Days of Michael Jackson,” a TV special that aired on March 24. The estate alleges that the producers used songs including “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” and “The Girl Is Mine,” along with music videos such as “Thriller,” and clips from “This Is It,” the concert documentary.
“The extent of Disney’s use of the Estate’s intellectual property in ‘The Last Days of Michael Jackson’ is truly astounding,” the suit states.
According to the estate, Disney’s attorneys never reached out to obtain permission before the show aired. When the estate raised objections, Disney asserted that the show was a “documentary” and was entitled to use the material under the “fair use” doctrine. Howard Weitzman,...
The suit surrounds “The Last Days of Michael Jackson,” a TV special that aired on March 24. The estate alleges that the producers used songs including “Beat It,” “Billie Jean,” and “The Girl Is Mine,” along with music videos such as “Thriller,” and clips from “This Is It,” the concert documentary.
“The extent of Disney’s use of the Estate’s intellectual property in ‘The Last Days of Michael Jackson’ is truly astounding,” the suit states.
According to the estate, Disney’s attorneys never reached out to obtain permission before the show aired. When the estate raised objections, Disney asserted that the show was a “documentary” and was entitled to use the material under the “fair use” doctrine. Howard Weitzman,...
- 5/30/2018
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
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