Michael Jackson’s estate jumps on mom, Katherine

  • Michael Jackson’s estate jumps on mom, Katherine



    Michael Jackson’s estate has given a cease and desist order to Katherine
    Jackson’s business partner, Howard Mann, demanding that he stop using the
    singer’s image for profit.


    The cease and desist letter, usually a prelude to a lawsuit, was issued
    regarding Mann using Jackson’s image for the “Unveiling of the Jackson
    Secret Vault Lithographic Collection” banners. Jackson’s mother, Katherine
    has been thrown into the fray between MJ’s estate and her business partner,
    Mann.



    Michael Jackson's estate jumps on mom, Katherine | HollywoodNews.com







    ################################################




    MJ Estate Challenges Michael's Mom


    The Michael Jackson estate has laid down the gauntlet by demanding that Katherine Jackson's business partner immediately stop exploiting MJ's image -- or else!!!


    Howard Mann -- the guy who had been partnering with Katherine on numerous MJ ventures including her book "Never Can Say Goodbye" -- is now the target of a cease and desist letter ... obtained by TMZ.


    The executors -- who until now have tolerated Mann's business ventures with Katherine -- have been pushed over the line and are demanding that Mann stop using MJ's image on banners to promote tonight's "Unveiling of the Jackson Secret Vault Lithographic Collection" in Beverly Hills.


    In fact, Katherine herself is scheduled to make an appearance at the event ... and even sign autographs.


    The cease and desist letter -- which is often the prelude to a lawsuit -- is hugely significant because it marks the first time executors, along with estate lawyer Howard Weitzman, have gone after anyone directly associated with Katherine Jackson.


    As we have been reporting, Katherine's unauthorized business ventures have irritated the executors who are trying to clear up Michael Jackson's debt and turn the estate into a profitable asset for the benefit of Michael's children.




    Michael Jackson Estate Challenges Katherine Jackson | TMZ.com


    dokumente ansehen ^

  • Michael Jackson estate is warily watching rival releases
    The King of Pop's mother, Katherine, has formed an alliance with Toronto entrepreneur Howard Mann. The estate's lawyers are monitoring releases from his Vintage Pop Media.



    For someone trying to sell a book, it couldn't get much better than this: Oprah Winfrey, the nation's reader-in-chief, was holding up a glossy volume of Michael Jackson photographs for her vast television audience while tossing softball questions to its co-author, the late singer's 80-year-old mother.


    The gauzily shot moment of marketing gold last month was not the work of the official Jackson estate but of a little-known Toronto businessman, Howard Mann, a brash, goateed 38-year-old who cut his teeth in the titillation trade — nude online gambling, a naked women's wrestling league — and is now pursuing an unorthodox plan to profit from what he calls "the most valuable name in history."


    That plan is a direct challenge to the Jackson estate, the behemoth quasi-corporation whose carefully strategized promotion of the pop star's legacy and ironhanded crackdown on unlicensed merchandise have translated into hundreds of millions in posthumous earnings. The brewing fight between the estate and Mann is the latest wrinkle in the settling of his affairs and another reminder that even in death, nothing involving the King of Pop is ever simple.


    Mann is taking on the estate armed with two weapons — a legal loophole that he says gives him carte blanche to flout intellectual property laws and an unlikely alliance with Jackson's mother, Katherine. Frustrated with the size of her allowance from the estate, the family matriarch has entered into a business partnership with Mann in which she has given her blessing to the book and other projects and he has paid her what he said was "hundreds of thousands of dollars."


    "I'm very pleased working with Howard. He's been very good to me," she said recently.


    These joint endeavors are becoming a headache for estate administrators, who seem reticent to offend Katherine Jackson, the guardian of the singer's three children and a much admired figure to fans. A lawyer for the estate dismissed Mann's novel legal theory as flawed, but the administrators have not moved to stop sales of his unauthorized Jackson products as they have others who tried to cash in on Jackson's name or likeness. For the past five months, the estate has sat silent as Mann's company, Vintage Pop Media, has touted its ownership of a trove of Jackson memorabilia — photos, personal papers, costumes and music — and hawked the book, calendars and other items on its website.


    Asked to explain, the estate's lawyer, Howard Weitzman, said of Mann: "His day is coming. The estate will be taking appropriate legal action."


    In the scope of the Jackson empire, with its $273-million deal with Sony and the $260-million concert movie, Mann's ventures — the $39.99 book and the $27.98 calendar — are small-time. However, his projects have hit a nerve in the delicate relationship between Jackson's beloved mother and the two music veterans he tapped in his will to control his business affairs.


    Under the terms of a private trust set up by the will, the singer's children and his mother each get a 40% share of the trust with the remainder going to charity. Upon Katherine Jackson's death, her portion passes to the children. Jackson owed creditors about half a billion dollars at the time of his death. The estate remains in the red although massive music and merchandise deals as well as financial restructuring have significantly reduced the debt.


    In a telephone interview, Katherine Jackson praised administrators John Branca and John McClain for doing "a very good job" managing the estate but criticized her monthly cash allowance of $7,000 to $8,000 as inadequate and said it left her dependent on Mann to cover her expenses.


    "I wish they would leave Howard alone and I wish they would leave me alone for working with Howard. I'm not greedy like people say. It's need not greed," she said.


    The estate disputes the suggestion that administrators are not meeting her living expenses. Weitzman, the lawyer, noted that the allowance was approved by a probate judge and said the cash payments were only one aspect of the financial support that administrators provided. The estate also paid off the mortgage on the family home in Encino and foots the bill for household staff, security, vehicles, food, tuition and vacations.


    "The estate has spent millions of dollars for Mrs. Jackson's benefit and on the direct living expenses of both Mrs. Jackson and the children," Weitzman said.


    But for Katherine Jackson, it is not enough. "I think I should be getting more," she said. She declined to specify why she needed the money. Her husband, Joe, sought an allowance from the court but was denied. Several other grandchildren also reside at the family home.


    Finances were on her mind a few months after her son's death when she was approached by Mann. The business partners seem an odd pair: Katherine Jackson is a devout Jehovah's Witness while much of Mann's résumé is X-rated. Mann was the former chief executive of an online gambling site that featured topless porn stars as dealers and also headed up the Naked Women's Wrestling League, an outfit that made its biggest headlines when it was sued by its hostess, Carmen Electra.


    But when Mann introduced himself to Katherine Jackson a few months after her son's June 2009 death, he offered her two things she wanted: money and the opportunity to protect her son's reputation from yet another damaging press report.


    Both stemmed from his purchase of an enormous memorabilia collection that Jackson's parents had originally assembled for a planned family museum. Katherine and Joe Jackson subsequently developed financial problems and the collection was sold at a 2001 bankruptcy auction. Eventually, the memorabilia came into the possession of a New Jersey construction company owner, Henry Vaccaro Sr., who set up a pay-per-view website to profit from the material.


    Michael Jackson sued Vaccaro and his company, Vintage Pop, for copyright infringement, cybersquatting, violation of his privacy rights and other claims in 2004, but the next year after his acquittal on child molestation charges, he decamped to Bahrain, refused to submit to a deposition and stopped paying his lawyers. A federal judge dismissed the case in 2006 "with prejudice" — meaning the singer was barred from refiling the same claims.


    After Jackson's death, word that Vaccaro was trying to sell the collection reached Mann. He wasn't a fan of Jackson's music, but he had previously considered purchasing a music catalog of early Jackson 5 recordings and he saw investment potential in the warehouse of old costumes, yellowing papers, artwork, pictures and recordings. When he looked closer, however, he concluded that the most valuable thing Vintage Pop had was not a particular piece of memorabilia but the court decision.



    As Mann saw it, whoever owned the company Jackson had sued, Vintage Pop, was forever immunized against intellectual property suits from Jackson or his heirs and had free rein to make money from Jackson's name.


    "This is effectively a satellite estate. Its value is unfathomable," Mann said.


    Vaccaro and his family were stunned by his assessment of the judge's declaration.


    "We were thinking all this stuff, that's the golden goose, the last thing we were thinking was this piece of paper," recalled Vaccaro's son-in-law, Mark Bahary, who was involved in the negotations. In return, Vaccaro got an undisclosed amount of money and a slice of the profits.


    Mann's theory hasn't been tested in court, but Loyola Law School professor Georgene Vairo said that from a civil procedure standpoint, Mann appears to be on solid legal ground.


    "It's kind of like the civil equivalent of double jeopardy. You get one bite at the apple and that is it," said Vairo, a civil procedure expert. She said that by abandoning the case, Jackson "essentially forfeited his intellectual property."


    "The law is rather unforgiving. [Estate lawyers] can argue that there is some reason why there should be a departure from the normal rule we'd apply, but they are going to have a tough row to hoe," she said.


    Weitzman, the lawyer for the estate, said he disagreed with Mann's analysis but declined to elaborate.


    After buying Vintage Pop, Mann approached Katherine Jackson to seek the family approval he felt was necessary before trying to sell merchandise to fans. He said he told her that he could provide regular cash payments with more ease than the estate, which was encumbered by her son's debt. He also told her that a British tabloid was offering him "seven figures" for a "particular item" from the memorabilia locker. Mann declined to identify the item or the publication but said it was clear the paper's goal was to smear Jackson's memory.


    At the family's request, he destroyed the item and returned a box of other personal items to the family.


    "He was nice enough to come to me with those things and I really appreciated what he did," Katherine Jackson recalled.


    The relationship has not been without missteps. This fall, Vintage Pop gave the gossip site TMZ a track from the memorabilia locker that the site advertised as never before released. It turned out to be a remix of an old Jacksons track, "Destiny." The fan backlash was swift and brutal, and Mann had to issue an apology.


    In addition to the book and other merchandise, Mann is working on a documentary based on 26 hours of Jackson family videotapes from the memorabilia locker. He is also planning a music-sharing site where users can remix some of the 273 Jackson music tracks from the memorabilia he bought.


    "Long term, we believe the fan is going to want to buy the product that his mother feels is worthy to have his name attached," Mann said.




    (LosAngelesTimes)

  • KJ's Biz Partner: Estate Doesn't Care About MJ's Kids

    The man doing business with Katherine Jackson just thumbed his nose -- BIGTIME -- at the Michael Jackson Estate ... essentially saying they're just a bunch of lawyers who don't care about MJ's kids.

    Last night Howard Mann slammed the Estate for the suggestion it's more invested in helping MJ's children than he and Katherine -- saying, "I would ask if the Estate has ever met those children, ever spoken to those children. To me it's a farce that they care about what happens to those children."


    Mann was In Beverly Hills ... outside the "Unveiling of the Jackson Secret Vault Lithographic Collection" -- his ongoing business venture with Katherine -- and an event that prompted MJ's Estate to fire off a cease and desist letter.





    mit clip:
    http://www.tmz.com/2010/12/11/…ist-jackson-secret-vault/


    #########################


    ja nee, is klar...aber ER is der grosse 'kümmerer' oder was...? :rolleyes :spinnen
    der rattenfänger will jetzt behaupten, dass er, wenn er unautorisierte geschäfte macht, das macht, um den kindern zu helfen...?
    ähm...ja. :rofl sicher ;D :lol:
    der estate (bezw. seine representanten) müssen im übrigen keinen persönlichen kontakt zu den kindern halten. das ist nicht ihre aufgabe.
    der kerl hat echt nen rad ab :rolleyes
    wenn die kinder erwachsen sind und über den estate/teile davon selbst verfügen können, dann ist das was anderes.


  • Sorry, aber wenn ich sowas lese, wird mir nur noch übel!!! :kotz:negativ
    Wie ist diese Frau eigentlich drauf!? Für mich ist sie echt sowas von unten durch. Es tut mir so unendlich leid, dass Michael sie als perfekt angesehen hat und wohl als Engel, sie aber scheinbar nicht viel besser als die anderen gierigen Familienmitglieder ist. Wie viel hätte sie gerne jeden Monat? 10 Millionen? :rolleyes (Und wenn das Geld nicht für die gefühlten 30 anderen "familiären Untermieter" in Hayvenhurst reicht, dann würde ich die vllt mal endlich rausschmeißen.)


    Sie lebt seit Jahrzehnten von ihrem Sohn, da wäre ja wohl mal etwas Bescheidenheit und vor allem Dankbarkeit (!!) angesagt!!!

  • Ich find das ja jedesmal so geil wenn der Clan und die Rattenfänger dahinter eins auf den Deckel kriegen ;D Ich frag mich ob die's doch mal irgendwann kapieren, dass sie draußen sind und punkt. Persönlich vor der Tür gelassen von Mr. Michael Jackson

  • Sorry, aber wenn ich sowas lese, wird mir nur noch übel!!! :kotz :negativ
    Wie ist diese Frau eigentlich drauf!? Für mich ist sie echt sowas von unten durch. Es tut mir so unendlich leid, dass Michael sie als perfekt angesehen hat und wohl als Engel, sie aber scheinbar nicht viel besser als die anderen gierigen Familienmitglieder ist. Wie viel hätte sie gerne jeden Monat? 10 Millionen? :rolleyes (Und wenn das Geld nicht für die gefühlten 30 anderen "familiären Untermieter" in Hayvenhurst reicht, dann würde ich die vllt mal endlich rausschmeißen.)

    Sie lebt seit Jahrzehnten von ihrem Sohn, da wäre ja wohl mal etwas Bescheidenheit und vor allem Dankbarkeit (!!) angesagt!!!



    Ich denke, das kommt davon, weil Katherine ihrem eigenen Sohn was vorgespielt hat. Sie wird ziemlich schnell kapiert haben, dass sie mit "I love you, my sweetheart"-Gesäusel alles von ihm bekommen hat. Und sie hat halt neben dem Gesäusel noch das Köpfchen getätschelt, wenn bei Michael mal die Tränen flossen und schon rollte der Dollar.... Michael war da echt eine arme Sau. Einen prügelnden Vater, der ihn tagein tagaus nur beleidigen und erniedrigen konnte und eine Mutter, die sich nur einschleimte.... ekelhafter Clan! Ich nehme Katherine die Trauer um ihren Sohn schon lange nicht mehr ab und bleibe bei der Meinung, dass sie sicher auch ein bisschen froh ist, dass er nicht mehr ist.... Jetzt (meint sie) gehört ALLES ihr. Dass Michael jedoch Verwalter für das Erbe einsetzte, war das beste, was er tun konnte. Sonst wären seine Kinder beim Ableben der Oma auch noch pleite.... :rolleyes

    Ich find das ja jedesmal so geil wenn der Clan und die Rattenfänger dahinter eins auf den Deckel kriegen ;D Ich frag mich ob die's doch mal irgendwann kapieren, dass sie draußen sind und punkt. Persönlich vor der Tür gelassen von Mr. Michael Jackson Bild



    Ich freu mich da auch jedes Mal auf's Neue, wenn ich sowas lese! Aber die kapieren das nicht mehr. Warte nur, da wird weitergeklgt, bis sich die Balken biegen. In Amerika ist das kein Problem! Da kann jeder jeden verklagen.... sogar der Vater den verstorbenen Sohn.... :rolleyes:spinnen

  • MJ Estate Sues Katherine Jackson's Business Partner


    1/20/2011 12:30 PM PST by TMZ Staff



    Michael Jackson's Estate has just sued Howard Mann, Katherine Jackson's business partner, claiming he's been ripping off Michael's name and likeness for profit ... TMZ has learned.


    According to the lawsuit, filed Thursday, the Estate claims Mann has violated copyright, trademark and cyber piracy laws by hocking all things MJ.


    Estate lawyer Howard Weitzman says, "The Estate had hoped Mann would voluntarily cease his conduct but that was not to be," adding, "People who trade off Michael's personality, copyrights, and trademarks should not be allowed to exploit the legacy of one of the world's most recognized talents for their own benefit."


    The Estate did not name Katherine Jackson as a defendant.




    (TMZ)

  • Michael Jackson estate sues over web site
    Jan 21 2011


    Michael Jackson’s estate is trying to shut down a website that is selling a book written by the late singer’s mother and has released music attributed to the pop superstar.


    The singer’s estate is suing businessman Howard Mann, who operates the website Michael Jackson Book - Never Can Say Goodbye by Katherine Jackson, claiming both are infringing copyrights and pose unfair competition.


    The website features a book of Katherine Jackson’s recollections of her son and released a remix of a Jackson song shortly before the release of a posthumous album last year. Jackson, 50, died in June 2009.


    The copyright infringement lawsuit asks a federal judge to turn over the website to the estate. It also seeks all profits from the website, which would go to the multi-million-dollar estate that supports Katherine Jackson and the singer’s three children.


    An email message sent to the site’s operators was not immediately returned.


    The complaint claims Mr Mann and the site are using Jackson’s likeness improperly, including images from the film This Is It and five sketches the singer drew.


    The lawsuit states Mr Mann has created a false endorsement by including a “special thanks” to the estate in Katherine Jackson’s book, despite not receiving permission for the use of copyrighted works.


    Several of the Jackson Secret Vault releases have occurred at the same time as estate projects were being released, including the anniversary of Jackson’s death and the release of the album Michael in December. That album sold more than three million copies.


    “The estate had hoped Mann would voluntarily cease his conduct but that was not to be,” estate lawyer Howard Weitzman wrote.


    “People who trade off of Michael’s personality, copyrights, and trademarks should not be allowed to exploit the legacy of one of the world’s most recognised talents for their own benefit.”


    Jackson’s estate, overseen by lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain, has earned millions and some experts estimate it will eventually rival the lucrative Elvis Presley estate.


    Several lawsuits over Jackson’s likeness and copyright have been filed by the estate and merchandiser Bravado.




    Michael Jackson estate sues over web site - WalesOnline

  • Nachlassverwaltung verklagt Howard Mann
    21.01.11 - 12:33


    Die Nachlassverwaltung von Michael Jackson verklagt Howard Mann, dem Geschäftspartner von Katherine Jackson. Mann soll den Namen des verstorbenen King of Pop für seine Geschäfte missbraucht haben. Der Beschuldigte soll das Urheberrecht auf den Namen Michael Jackson mehrmals wissentlich übergangen haben.


    Nun wollen die Nachlassverwalter Schadenersatz sehen - wie viel ist allerdings nicht bekannt. Sicher ist aber, dass Katherine Jackson mit der Klage nichts zu tun hat. Sie kommt in der Niederschrift der Nachlassverwaltung nicht vor.


    Quelle: fan-lexikon.com & MJFC JAM

  • Nachlassverwaltung verklagt Howard Mann
    Sicher ist aber, dass Katherine Jackson mit der Klage nichts zu tun hat. Sie kommt in der Niederschrift der Nachlassverwaltung nicht vor.


    Quelle: fan-lexikon.com & MJFC JAM


    Sie hat damit nichts zu tun ist echt ein guter Witz ;D .


    Dit macht ihren Vertrag mit dem Typen vermutlich ein ganzes Stück wertloser. Der Man wollte ja schließlich nicht mit der "Marke" Katherine Jackson Knete machen.
    Schön wärs wenn die Kids auch unter den Schutz des Estate fallen würden, aber ich glaubs nicht...

  • Katherine Jackson -- MJ Estate Lawyers are 'Greedy'
    1/26/2011 12:20 AM PST by TMZ Staff



    Katherine Jackson is unloading on the lawyers overlooking Michael Jackson's Estate -- calling them "greedy" ... and claiming they're filing lawsuits left, right and center just to make a quick buck.


    In a recent interview from the Michael Jackson Secret Vault, Katherine says, "All these lawyers that are involved in Michael's business since he passed -- there's a lot of them -- I think they're trying to create different lawsuits and things because they're greedy and they want to get paid."


    As we previously reported, the Estate is currently suing Katherine's business partner Howard Mann for allegedly profiting off MJ's name and likeness without their permission -- an accusation Katherine took very personally.




    Katherine Jackson -- MJ Estate Lawyers are | TMZ.com






    greedy...
    :prust :rofl na DAS sagt ja die richtige... :rofl:respekt:spinnen :lol:

  • Katherine Jackson speaks out January 25th, 2011

    [video=youtube;XhjeVpvkGoE]

    Externer Inhalt www.youtube.com
    Inhalte von externen Seiten werden ohne deine Zustimmung nicht automatisch geladen und angezeigt.
    Durch die Aktivierung der externen Inhalte erklärst du dich damit einverstanden, dass personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen übermittelt werden. Mehr Informationen dazu haben wir in unserer Datenschutzerklärung zur Verfügung gestellt.
    [/video]

  • Exclusive Court Documents: Kenny Ortega Demands To Be Removed From Michael Jackson Wrongful Death Lawsuit


    Kenny Ortega is continuing his battle to be dropped as a defendant in Katherine Jackson's lawsuit against AEG, and RadarOnline.com has his detailed legal filing.


    READ THE COURT DOCUMENTS HERE


    Ortega, the famed choreographer and director who was helming Michael Jackson's planned This Is It concert series, was named by Katherine Jackson as one of the people she believes is responsible for her son's death.


    Nothing could be further from the truth, Ortega says and on January 26, he filed a Memorandum of Points and Authorities stating he was "wrongfully and mistakenly named as a defendant in this case."


    Ortega, the document states "has been extremely hurt by this mistaken and misguided Complaint publicly naming him as a defendant allegedly responsible for his friend's death."


    He's asking the court to remove him as a defendant in Katherine's ongoing lawsuit against the giant entertainment and sports presentation company, AEG.


    Quelle: EXCLUSIVE COURT DOCUMENTS: Kenny Ortega Demands To Be Removed From Michael Jackson Wrongful Death Lawsuit | Radar Online

Jetzt mitmachen!

Du hast noch kein Benutzerkonto auf unserer Seite? Registriere dich kostenlos und nimm an unserer Community teil!