Michael Jackson Estate Accuses Disney, ABC Of IP Infringement

Wire Image / Getty – Michael Jackson

In response to ABC’s airing of a Michael Jackson television special, the estate of The King Of Pop released a statement May 23 accusing The House Of Mouse of infringing upon its Intellectual Property. 

“We want consumers to know that “The Last Days of Michael Jackson,” a television special airing on ABC TV (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) May 24, is not sponsored or approved by the Estate of Michael Jackson,” the estate said in a statement. “It is particularly disheartening that Disney, a company known to strongly believe in protecting its own IP rights, would choose to ignore these rights belonging to the Estate.”

The estate said that ABC used one of its copyrighted photos and a silhouette image to promote the special. ABC only removed them after attorneys representing the estate sent a notice of IP infringement to ABC News, according to the statement. 

“We are told ABC intends to use music and other intellectual property owned by the Estate such as photos, logos, artwork, and more in the program itself, without having licensed the rights to any such material,” the statement continues. 

The estate did not indicate whether it was filing a lawsuit.