Michael Jackson estate suing ABC over TV special
The estate of Michael Jackson is suing Disney, saying an ABC television special on the singer’s last days infringed on its intellectual property.
The Associated Press obtained the lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in a Los Angeles court against the network and parent company Disney.
It alleges that last week’s special, The Last Days of Michael Jackson, illegally uses significant excerpts of his most valuable songs, including Billie Jean and Bad, and music videos, including Thriller and Black or White.
Estate lawsuit against ABC and Disney
It says the special also used clips from a documentary and feature film belonging to the estate.
ABC representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But when the Jackson camp raised objections last week, the network defended it as a news show that did not violate the estate’s rights.