Jackson Rep Sues Fox News

A former Michael Jackson adviser is suing Fox News for copyright infringement, claiming the station aired segments of an interview with Jackson’s ex-wife without permission or proper payment.

The lawsuit, filed by F. Marc Schaffel in federal court Jan. 7, seeks damages from parent company News Corp., and the television station.

Schaffel owns the copyright to Debbie Rowe’s 2003 interview, portions of which aired as a counterpoint to Martin Bashir’s damaging interview with the King of Pop on ABC at that time.

Fox News reportedly re-aired segments of Rowe’s interview shortly after Jackson died in June.

Schaffel’s lawsuit blasts News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch of doing what he’s accused other media outlets of doing with his company’s newspapers – stealing content.

“Fox sanctimoniously operates unencumbered by the very copyright restrictions it seeks to impose on its competitors,” the lawsuit says.

A Fox News spokesman said the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation.