After over 4 years, the legal case filed by Quincy Jones over allegedly unpaid music royalties has finally received a resolution. The court awarded the legendary artist the amount of $ 9.4 million after reviewing his complaints. These royalties covered three of Jackson’s best-selling albums.

Pending payments

The amount stated in the court’s decision is a far cry from what Jones initially filed for. According to the papers he submitted in 2013, Jones claimed Jackson cheated him out of $30 million worth of payments rightfully due to him. In contrast, Jackson’s lawyers only found $ 392,000 worth, based on minor miscomputations in accounting.

Jones and Jackson had a close relationship during the success of these albums. According to Jones, he always trusted the payments he received and seldom checked the specifics of the contracts he signed. He brought to the court’s attention two contracts, duly signed by all parties, with specific terms of “record” and “video show.” The 84-year old reiterated that he worked hard on those albums and the lawsuit he filed was not about Jackson or earning from his estate.

Legendary Albums

In a report from the New York Times, Jones was quoted as saying, “It was about protecting the integrity of the work we all did in the recording studio and the legacy of what we created.” In his eyes, the court’s ruling was not only his victory but that of other artists as well who may likewise be underpaid.

The lawyer for Jackson’s estate, Howard Weitzman, continuously argued on Jones having been paid all the amounts due to him. He submitted contracts that reflected Jones’ participation and contributions to the albums.

The albums in question, "Off the Wall," "Thriller," and others, sold millions worldwide. To say they were best sellers would be an understatement.

Jackson was at the height of his success and popularity. He and Jones succeeded in releasing successive music tracks that shook the music industry.

Question of contributions

During one instance at court, Weinstein slammed Jones for demanding payment when it was Jackson who created the songs and performed them for the fans. They put emphasis on the late artists’ contributions to the album.

Jones, meanwhile, countered these statements.

According to Jones, his role as producer was just as crucial to the success of an album. He packaged the album and personally chose each song from nearly 1000 options during that time. For one, "Thriller" became a huge success and 7 of the tracks were consistently part of Top 10 Hits.

Court’s decision

During Jackson’s untimely death in 2009, his songs and albums peaked in popularity once again. Weitzman shared that Jones quickly earned $8 million in profits from this time. Jackson’s representatives concluded their arguments by saying Jones did not deserve any more of the King of Pop’s money.

Despite the arguments from Jackson’s lawyers, a Los Angeles jury awarded Jones a multi million dollar amount in damages.

According to the ruling, sufficient evidence exists that cover a few projects wherein Jones was not adequately compensated. These were for the use of music in the film “This Is It” and Cirque du Soleil shows.