Quincy Jones Awarded $9.4 Million From Michael Jackson's Estate in Royalties Lawsuit

Legendary producer wins lawsuit in court over unpaid fees

By Samantha Schnurr Jul 27, 2017 2:36 PMTags
Michael Jackson, Quincy JonesAP Photo/Doug Pizac/Saxon

Four years after filing a lawsuit against Michael Jackson's estate, Quincy Jones is hearing the sweet sound of a paycheck. 

In 2013, the 84-year-old legendary music producer claimed in a lawsuit that "clandestine arrangements" put in place served to cheat him out of royalties he was due for his contributions to Jackson's earlier work. Jones co-produced three of Jackson's most notable albums, Off the WallThriller and Bad

According to court documents obtained by E! News at the time, Jones alleged that the recordings he worked on were edited and remixed in a way to deprive him of his deserved cut from projects like the This Is It documentary and two Cirque du Soleil shows that utilized Jackson's music. He filed against Sony Music Entertainment, Epic Records and MJJ Productions, controlled by the singer's estate, for breach of contract and sought at least $10 million in damages, a full accounting of what he was owed and other unspecified compensation—the total request amounting to roughly $30 million

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Michael Jackson: A Life

During a two-week trial, attorneys debated the meaning of a "record" included in two royalties contracts signed by Jones and how they would apply to This Is It and the two live shows. On Wednesday after a two-week trial, a jury awarded the 23-time Grammy winner $9.42 million. "Although this judgement is not the full amount that I was seeking, I am very grateful that the jury decided in our favor in this matter," Jones said in a statement to Variety. "I view it not only as a victory for myself personally, but for artists' rights overall."

"This lawsuit was never about Michael, it was about protecting the integrity of the work we all did in the recording studio and the legacy of what we created," he added. 

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Quincy Jones Sues Michael Jackson's Estate for $10 Million
Sony Pictures

Meanwhile, Jackson estate attorneys Howard Weitzman and Zia Modabber told the magazine they believed Jones has no right to these millions. "While the jury denied Quincy Jones $21 million—or more than two-thirds of what he demanded—from the estate of Michael Jackson, we still believe that giving him millions of dollars that he has no right to receive under his contracts is wrong," they said in a joint statement.

They added, "Any amount above and beyond what is called for in his contracts is too much and unfair to Michael's heirs. Although Mr. Jones is portraying this is a victory for artists' rights, the real artist is Michael Jackson and it is his money Mr. Jones is seeking."

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