The 84-year old music producer Quincy Jones filed a lawsuit last Friday night against the estate of Michael Jackson. According to Jones, the “clandestine arrangements” were put in place to intentionally cheat him out of the royalties he was due for the works done with the King of Pop. Jones co-produced some of Jackson’s most famous albums, Bad, Thriller and Off the Wall. His claim is that since Jackson’s death, his estate took all the credits to itself, giving him only a portion of the royalties that was supposedly due to him. He produced all the tracks, arranged and shaped them, but the estate failed to give him his rightful share.
Issues on the alteration of Quincy’s track
According to E News, Quincy is suing Jackson’s estate and Sony for all the reissues and remixes they have made on Jackson’s tracks since the King of Pop died. Quincy claimed that Sony and MJJ Productions made an alteration on the tracks he produced without asking his permission. Quincy allegedly said also that the MJJ Productions was created to intentionally cheat him so that he will not know what was going on with the tracks he produced. He also filed a complaint saying that Jackson’s estate disguised the royalties made from the various albums, productions, and films by disguising them into profits that made Jones’ royalties inaccurately calculated.
He presented to the jury how his permission was needed before doing any changes.
Quincy won the case
After Jackson’s death, Sony Music and MJJ Productions collaborated to re-release “Bad” and the concert film “This Is It” and its soundtracks. Jones has asked first for $30.3 million for damages, but the Estate opposed saying that Jones was owed less than $400,000 due to errors on their part.
After four years of going against with Sony and Jackson’s estate, Quincy has finally won the case and awarded by jury Los Angeles $9.4 million.
In an interview with Variety, he said that although the judgment was not fully awarded to what he is seeking, he is still happy and grateful that the jury decided in his favor. "I view it not only as a victory for myself personally but for artists' rights overall," Jones added.
According to him the filed lawsuit was never about Jackson, it was about fighting and protecting the integrity of they have done in the recording studio and the legacy they have made together.
Jones and Jackson have met while working on regarded adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz,” ‘The Wiz” in 1978. Although proven guilty, Jackson’s estate still intends to appeal the verdict and pursue post-trial motions.
