On Tuesday, legendary producer Quincy Jones lost $9.4 million in royalties in his legal battle against Michael Jackson’s estate.
Jones and the Jackson estate have been embroiled in a legal battle over Jones’ claims that he is owed millions of dollars in royalties. Jones sought $30 million from the estate when he initially filed his lawsuit in 2013, claiming he was entitled to more than the standard 10% producing fee laid out in his contracts with the Jackson estate for his work on various projects produced following Jackson’s 2009 death. After Jones won $9.4 million in 2017, the Jackson estate appealed the ruling. As a result, Jones cross-appealed, demanding a larger sum, with his lawyers arguing that he was the victim of “financial elder abuse.” They also sought attorney fees under state law. However, this claim was rejected by the appeals court.
Now, the California Court of Appeal has reversed the judgment, saying that the trial judge should not have allowed the trial jury to decide the judgment. Instead, the judge should have decided it. The court will now be sending the case back to the trial court for amendment. Despite the new ruling, Jones will be allowed to keep the $2.6 million awarded to him for unpaid license fees from This Is It.
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