Jones Wins $9.4 Mil Jackson Cash

Producer Quincy Jones prevailed yesterday in his ongoing dispute with the estate of Michael Jackson over the matter of unpaid royalties. As Variety reports, a Los Angeles jury awarded Jones $9.42 million in damages, finding that he had been underpaid in royalties for music used in the 2009 documentary This Is It and two Cirque du Soleil shows. Jones had been seeking $30 million when he first brought the suit in 2013. He alleged a breach of contract, saying that he was unfairly cut out of posthumous deals by Jackson’s estate to feature his music in the documentary and the Cirque shows.

In a statement, Jones said, “Although this judgment is not the full amount that I was seeking, I am very grateful that the jury decided in our favor in this matter. I view it not only as a victory for myself personally, but for artists’ rights overall.” He added, “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.”

Not surprisingly, Jackson estate attorneys Howard Weitzman and Zia Modabber offered up what can best be described as a completely opposite view of the verdict. In a statement, they said, “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 continued, “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.” Alrighty, then…