Michael Jackson Estate Files Lawsuit Against Three Companies and a Japanese Man

The Michael Jackson Estate has filed a lawsuit against a man and three companies in Japan. The Estate claims that Ryusuke Matsura and several companies are using Michael Jackson's name and image on products such as cups, keychains, and similar merchandise without authorization. The Michael Jackson Estate has estimated the value of the unauthorized merchandise sold by these three companies at $1.23 million. The lawsuit was filed last month in the Tokyo District Court in Japan. The Michael Jackson Estate is not seeking monetary damages in this complaint, but is demanding the immediate halt of these illegal activities. The three companies against which the Estate has filed suit are: Michael Jackson Asian Rights, Michael Jackson Enterprises, and Michael Jackson World. These three companies had claimed on their websites to hold the rights to sell Michael Jackson products in Asia, but the Estate says these individuals exploited Michael Jackson's death to falsely claim that they had acquired the rights to sell his merchandise. Mr. Matsura and the companies have made no public comment in response. The Estate stated: "Michael loved millions of his fans in Japan. They deserve the right to purchase official, authorized Michael Jackson products." In addition to the Michael Jackson Estate, the U.S.-based company Triumph International has also joined the lawsuit. This company was founded by Michael to manage the sale of his merchandise and is now fully owned by the Estate. Triumph had previously filed suit against another Japanese company for the unauthorized sale of Michael's merchandise and won the case in 2011. Source: eMJey.com / Washington Post