MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION [ Update : Case dismissed]

ivy

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A music producer claims he's owed at least $24 MILLION for his work on the Paul Anka/Michael Jackson collaboration "This Is it" -- and now, he's suing Anka and the MJ Estate for the money.

The producer -- named Michael Jonzun -- filed the lawsuit in Massachusetts federal court, claiming he helped remake Paul and MJ's 1983 song "I Never Heard" ... into what eventually became MJ's 2009 song "This Is It."

According to the lawsuit, Jonzun owns one-third of "This Is It" but he never got paid his share of the song's proceeds -- so he's suing.

Paul Anka tells TMZ, he has never even heard the name Michael Jonzun before today -- and any claims Jonzun owns a portion of "This Is It" are "BS."

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2012/10/30/michael-jackson-estate-paul-anka-this-is-it-lawsuit/#ixzz2Aq7e8wfA
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Oh no here we go again!!! First, Anka came out and said Michael stole the song from him when Thriller fame got to his head. Then a deal was made where Anka got some money. Now a Jonzun shows up and claims he needs some millions because he worked on the song. Is that song worth 24 mil? Does Teddy Riley get 24 mil for working on 1 song too? Well let's see what comes of this.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

:rolleyes: Here we go it feels like they all are going around the merry go round dont it
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Got the complaint file

This music producer is not only suing MJ Estate and Paul Anka but he's also suing Sony and Epic, Sony Pictures and AEG Live. He doesn't have a lawyer he's representing himself.

He says in 1990 he was approached for Sa-fire's version of the song by Polygram. He was sent Michael's demo and he says he created back beat, chords, guitar, strings etc as well as lyrics etc. He calls this as the song foundation and music bed. He says there have been offers for his version which he refused to sell.

He says the 2009 released version is substantially similar to what he did in 1990. He says he realizes his work.

He wants
- Court to give him 1/3 credit and estimated $10 Million in damages for proceeds not paid to him
- $4 Million in damages due to Lanham Act
- $10 Million for MJ Estate, Anka, Sony, AEG for unjust enrichment by not crediting him
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

:wtf:



Oh God.....
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Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

:rolleyes: Here we go it feels like they all are going around the merry go round dont it

Yeap and that song came out when TII came out. He just realized he worked on that song and was not paid. Has every one been looking at how much the estate is making and getting greedy?
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Oh no.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Does this guy have his original demo tape of this somg he claims really is his? i think without that really he has no basis for his claims
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Yeap and that song came out when TII came out. He just realized he worked on that song and was not paid. Has every one been looking at how much the estate is making and getting greedy?

yep i reckon that is what is happening as everyone is jealous of the money the estate are earning and want a piece of it, just like they did with mj
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Does this guy have his original demo tape of this somg he claims really is his? i think without that really he has no basis for his claims

He says he has copies of the versions he did.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

And how do we know that the versions of the song this guy claims to have are even his? That song has been out for three years, was recorded by another musician for their album around 1990, and was stored away in a box for seven years before that. Besides, wasn't the 2009 release the original demo song from 1983 with only the Jackson brothers humming in the background as an addition? If so, I think that would mean that the things this guy claims to have added to the song don't exist in that release. So how did he have anything to do with the composition of the 2009 song? Also, Anybody could present a copy of however many versions of the song in court and say that they had a part in it. Seriously, it was bad enough when Anka said Michael stole the song from him and the Estate wound up making a deal with Anka. But this other guy's claims are just ridiculous, in my opinion.
 
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Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

And what took him for so long? Does he realize it's his song only now, 3 years after its release?
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

:doh: representing himself without a lawyer? Good luck with that lol. He's got some balls.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

He created lyrics 1990 but the version we hear is from 1983..??
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

You go, Paul Anka..i've heard so much about your legendary temper..and if there EVER was a time i wanted you to use it..the time is NOW.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

*yawn* next!
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

He created lyrics 1990 but the version we hear is from 1983..??

At least he's not like Daniel Kapon, who claimed in a lawsuit that Michael stole the songs of the Bad, Dangerous and HIStory albums from him. Kapon was 2 years old at the time of the Bad album... :smilerolleyes:
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

At least he's not like Daniel Kapon, who claimed in a lawsuit that Michael stole the songs of the Bad, Dangerous and HIStory albums from him. Kapon was 2 years old at the time of the Bad album... :smilerolleyes:

:rofl:
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

The guys is an attention seeker or a complete idiot thinking he can can come against Sony/Epic , MJ Estate or AEG without an attorney. He owns no rights to the song. I would say the reason they are similar is becuase its the same song. :lol: He just mixed his own version. That certainly doesnt give him any rights to the song. His claim sound ridiculas. Just wants his 15 minutes
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

And what took him for so long? Does he realize it's his song only now, 3 years after its release?

He says he heard it shortly after its release. so it's interesting. but he might have tried to talk to people before filing a lawsuit or this could be a random BS lawsuit.

He created lyrics 1990 but the version we hear is from 1983..??

Although it's not clear he is saying some elements are used from his version. It's definitely not limited to lyrics, he lists a lot of things he allegedly did for the music part as well.

He says he was hired by Polygram to work on Sa-fire's version. He's given Michael's 1983 demo which only had piano, vocal, finger snaps and scat vocal. He says he worked on music (adding beats, instruments and so on), lyrics etc in which he created the song foundation. He then says Polygram Vice President told him Michael loved what he did and wanted to buy his work. He doesn't sell it. Their work relationship in regards to Sa-fire also ends.

So again like I said it's not clear but it seems like he's claiming that somehow the versions he gave Polygram to listen (but not sold) got added to the released version. Such as for example he did record some strings and that's added to the Micheal's version.

Of course it could be a similar mix done by another person. Because even he calls it "substantially similar". So it's not exact but similar. It's likely that different musicians to do a similar mix and additions to the same bare song.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

He then says Polygram Vice President told him Michael loved what he did and wanted to buy his work. He doesn't sell it. Their work relationship in regards to Sa-fire also ends.

That sounds like total BS. Here is this guy, a relatively no-name producer working with no-name acts like Sa-fire, but he is not willing to sell his work to Michael Jackson and refuses the chance to be credited on an MJ record? Yeah, right.

Someone trying his luck and seeking his 15 minutes of fame, I think.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Just hope this guy is asked to pay all costs if it's kicked out of court. Too many times it is costing the estate for frivolous lawuits.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

I hope he doesn't get a fricken penny. Just another moocher.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

That sounds like total BS. Here is this guy, a relatively no-name producer working with no-name acts like Sa-fire, but he is not willing to sell his work to Michael Jackson and refuses the chance to be credited on an MJ record? Yeah, right.

Someone trying his luck and seeking his 15 minutes of fame, I think.

He says he was a pretty good producer in the 90s. I don't have the list of the people he worked with - which he lists on the complaint. But a google search shows names like New Edition, New Kids on the Block and such.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

This is what I found about him on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jonzun

He seems to me a pretty minor and struggling producer whose major claim to fame seems to be that he is the brother of Maurice Starr, who was the mastermind behind New Edition and NKOTB, according to the Wiki article. And Michael Jonzun contributed to early tracks by both groups, but I don't see any big hit produced by him.

(And on a sidenote, it's funny to see this guy come up with this lawsuit, when New Edition was such a Jackson 5 rip-off.)
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Why doesn't he have a lawyer?
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

wasn't there a dead line for filing a law suit against michael' estate?
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

wasn't there a dead line for filing a law suit against michael' estate?

that was for creditor claims. These kind of lawsuit can be filed anytime.
 
Re: MJ ESTATE & PAUL ANKA Sued Over 'This Is It' For $24 MILLION

Where was he when the song first came out in 2009???
 
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