Michael Jackson Foundation sues two charities

The trustees of the Michael Jackson Foundation, John Branca and John McClain, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against two charities in California for using the name of Michael’s song “Heal the World” and for unauthorized use of phrases and trademarks related to him in order to attract his fans and make financial profit. The Heal the World charity and its subsidiary, United Fleet, claimed that they were connected to Michael Jackson. But according to Michael’s lawyers, there is no such connection between them and Michael or the Jackson family.

These two foundations tried to trick people into believing they were working for Michael’s goals by using phrases such as “King of Pop,” “Heal the World,” “Neverland,” and “Thriller,” and thus they have profited from his name since Michael’s death on June 25.

Michael’s own Heal the World charity, which shared the name with his beautiful song, was founded in 1992 to help people in need around the world. The organization was shut down in 2002 due to financial problems. Michael’s lawyers say that the Heal the World charity is no longer active. The charity targeted by the lawyers’ lawsuit is not the charity founded by Michael Jackson himself.

These two foundations used Michael’s trademarks and sold items using those trademarks. The Heal the World foundation in question was established in 2008. On the foundation’s website, photos of Michael are posted, and a section is dedicated to honoring his humanitarian activities.

Among the actions of this foundation, it can be mentioned that it transported 46 tons of essential supplies to war-affected Sarajevo, provided education to fight drug and alcohol addiction, and donated millions of dollars to suffering children around the world. Michael Jackson spent all the income from his Dangerous tour on this charity. Other charitable work by Michael for children includes paying all the costs of a liver transplant for a Hungarian child.

Michael also donated his share of the income from the Victory tour in the early 1980s to charities. He used the compensation he received from Pepsi for burning his hair and part of his scalp to set up a burn treatment clinic. By writing the song We Are The World, which was performed by a huge number of stars from the 1980s, he was able to collect millions of dollars to help famine victims in Sudan and Ethiopia.

During the Bad tour in the late 1980s, in every city where he held concerts, he continued his humanitarian activities by visiting children’s hospitals, touring orphanages, and providing financial help to them.

In the 1990s too, he participated in many concerts or charitable activities. He donated his salary for a Super Bowl show held in the stadium where rugby finals were played. In that show, he performed Heal the World in a chorus with 750 people from the public.

In the late 1990s, Michael sold photos of his little son Prince to OK! magazine and donated the $3 million earnings to charity.

Michael, who suffered from lupus and vitiligo, also helped foundations supporting people with these diseases.

In 2001, the Guinness World Records book named Michael as the most charitable pop music star.

Source: eMJey / AFP