INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
LOS ANGELES: Disney and Michael Jackson´s estate have resolved a copyright dispute over a documentary about the late King of Pop that saw
the Hollywood studio accused of breathtaking hypocrisy and aggressive tactics."The Last Days of Michael Jackson", a two-hour program that
aired on Disney-owned ABC in 2018, was accused of using the pop star´s songs, music videos, concert footage and clips of his memorial
service without permission.On Thursday, Jackson lawyer Howard Weitzman said in a statement to AFP: "The matter has been amicably resolved."
No details of the settlement were provided.The Jackson estate´s lawyers alleged in a complaint filed last year that Disney had ignored
copyright law while zealously prosecuting anyone who infringed on its own intellectual property."Unable to make a compelling presentation
about Michael Jackson on its own, Disney decided to exploit the Jackson Estate´s intellectual property," read the complaint.Disney has
argued that the documentary -- a broad overview of Jackson´s life -- made fair use of content including parts of hits "Billie Jean" and
"Beat It", as allowed under copyright law.But the complaint noted that "Disney has threatened to sue independent childcare centers for
having pictures of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on their walls.""Disney once sued a couple on public assistance for $1 million when they
appeared at children´s parties dressed as an orange tiger and a blue donkey
Apparently, those costumes cut too close to Tigger and Eeyore for Disney´s tastes," it added.Jackson is estimated to have sold 350 million
records, including "Thriller", the best-selling album of all time.He amassed 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one solo singles in the United
States and became the first artist in history to have a top ten single in the Billboard Hot 100 in five different decades.He died in June
2009 at age 50, while he was in the Los Angeles area practicing for a planned series of concerts in London entitled "This Is It"
The cause was given as an overdose of the anesthetic propofol
His personal doctor, Conrad Murray, was convicted in 2011 for administering the fatal dose of medication to Jackson.The Jackson estate this
year filed a $100 million lawsuit against HBO for "posthumous character assassination" after its documentary "Leaving Neverland" alleged
that Jackson molested young boys at his fairytale-themed ranch.HBO has launched an appeal in its bid to dismiss the case.In his lifetime,
Jackson denied all child sex allegations.TheIndianSubcontinent has not verified the content of the source
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