NEW Record Deal for Michael

[MeandMyShadow]

Is it just me, or does it strike you odd that Sony would put out that much money for a record deal on a dead person?  :lol:   He's got to be alive.  Otherwise, it makes no sense to me.  Even if there are songs that have never been released before, usually, doesn't a singer go on tour to promote the new material?  I know, MJ would sell no matter what, but still.

And how do we know there are old songs that have never been released?  We hear it from the media.  What if, there are no old songs that haven't been released, but in reality, *NEW* songs that he is coming up with right now, after his publicized death.  Just a thought ...

And wasn't the computer that supposedly stored these old songs confiscated?  Wasn't it thought that LaToya got it at first, but then she denied it.  

Well, I believe he's alive, as I know a lot of you all do, otherwise, why are we on this board, no?  

[deepu priyanka]

I THINK MJ IS BEHIND THE CONTRACT SIGNING .. WHO KNOWS HE MIGHT HAD PATCHED UP WITH THEM N THAT CAN BE POSSIBLE....NOW AT PRESENT HE MAY BE AT GOOD TERMS WITH THEM.... MAY BE THAT COULD BE THE REASON OF SIGNING 7 YEARS CONTRACT VIT THEM....... JUST SEEING A POSSIBILITY NO OFFENSE. GOOD LUCK MJ. I THINK NEED RELIEF FROM UR MOUNTED DEBTS. THERE IS ONE MORE THING TO ADD UP...........IF MJ IS ALIVE THE CONTRACT MUST HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY MJ OR ELSE IF HE IS REALLY DEAD THEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE N SINISTER IS HAPPENING . IF MJ IS REALLY DEAD THEN , HE WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED FOR HIS MUSIC STUFF TO ACQUIRE HIS ESTATE BY CREATING FAKE WILL.... OR IS HE DOING ALL THIS TO EXPOSE SOMEONE WHO TRIED TO BRING HIM DOWN........

[Angelica]

I THINK MJ IS BEHIND THE CONTRACT SIGNING .. WHO KNOWS HE MIGHT HAD PATCHED UP WITH THEM N THAT CAN BE POSSIBLE....NOW AT PRESENT HE MAY BE AT GOOD TERMS WITH THEM.... MAY BE THAT COULD BE THE REASON OF SIGNING 7 YEARS CONTRACT VIT THEM....... JUST SEEING A POSSIBILITY NO OFFENSE. GOOD LUCK MJ. I THINK NEED RELIEF FROM UR MOUNTED DEBTS. THERE IS ONE MORE THING TO ADD UP...........IF MJ IS ALIVE THE CONTRACT MUST HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY MJ OR ELSE IF HE IS REALLY DEAD THEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE N SINISTER IS HAPPENING . IF MJ IS REALLY DEAD THEN , HE WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED FOR HIS MUSIC STUFF TO ACQUIRE HIS ESTATE BY CREATING FAKE WILL.... OR IS HE DOING ALL THIS TO EXPOSE SOMEONE WHO TRIED TO BRING HIM DOWN........

Hello friends miss you!
I'll be honest, I have not read the 8 pages, but the last comment Deepu Pryanka, spoke little but all I think.
For me Michael is very much alive, and this is a great test.
Last night on a news program here in Rio de Janeiro, they reported this major contract, soon after on another channel the journalist reported this:
Family of Jackson signs the largest contract in history!
I thought: How so? Children can not sign anything, the family does not have any commitment to anything, who did it?
Lawyers, ok, but with orders? He had left it in the will? From what was reported the document was nothing authorizing the Sony and lawyers to create a contract of this magnitude.
Friends, this only confirms my theory.
Michael was behind everything, he sees everything, he knows everything, and manipulating, calling the shots in everything and everyone.
My fear is, that if he comes back, things can turn against him if there's one thing we can do is play with human feelings, you'll forgive me but this joke has gone too far.
I do not like, do not agree, I prefer the all clear, as it depends on me, no cd be bought, that he pay his debts, the clear so we can see,
This is the right attitude and just as it should be.
None of us deserve to pass and pay for it.
Again excuse the frankness.

[deepu priyanka]

I THINK MJ IS BEHIND THE CONTRACT SIGNING .. WHO KNOWS HE MIGHT HAD PATCHED UP WITH THEM N THAT CAN BE POSSIBLE....NOW AT PRESENT HE MAY BE AT GOOD TERMS WITH THEM.... MAY BE THAT COULD BE THE REASON OF SIGNING 7 YEARS CONTRACT VIT THEM....... JUST SEEING A POSSIBILITY NO OFFENSE. GOOD LUCK MJ. I THINK NEED RELIEF FROM UR MOUNTED DEBTS. THERE IS ONE MORE THING TO ADD UP...........IF MJ IS ALIVE THE CONTRACT MUST HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY MJ OR ELSE IF HE IS REALLY DEAD THEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE N SINISTER IS HAPPENING . IF MJ IS REALLY DEAD THEN , HE WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED FOR HIS MUSIC STUFF TO ACQUIRE HIS ESTATE BY CREATING FAKE WILL.... OR IS HE DOING ALL THIS TO EXPOSE SOMEONE WHO TRIED TO BRING HIM DOWN........

Hello friends miss you!
I'll be honest, I have not read the 8 pages, but the last comment Deepu Pryanka, spoke little but all I think.
For me Michael is very much alive, and this is a great test.
Last night on a news program here in Rio de Janeiro, they reported this major contract, soon after on another channel the journalist reported this:
Family of Jackson signs the largest contract in history!
I thought: How so? Children can not sign anything, the family does not have any commitment to anything, who did it?
Lawyers, ok, but with orders? He had left it in the will? From what was reported the document was nothing authorizing the Sony and lawyers to create a contract of this magnitude.
Friends, this only confirms my theory.
Michael was behind everything, he sees everything, he knows everything, and manipulating, calling the shots in everything and everyone.
My fear is, that if he comes back, things can turn against him if there's one thing we can do is play with human feelings, you'll forgive me but this joke has gone too far.
I do not like, do not agree, I prefer the all clear, as it depends on me, no cd be bought, that he pay his debts, the clear so we can see,
This is the right attitude and just as it should be.
None of us deserve to pass and pay for it.
Again excuse the frankness.

OK I LIKE UR FRANKNESS

[this1crazygirl]

I THINK MJ IS BEHIND THE CONTRACT SIGNING .. WHO KNOWS HE MIGHT HAD PATCHED UP WITH THEM N THAT CAN BE POSSIBLE....NOW AT PRESENT HE MAY BE AT GOOD TERMS WITH THEM.... MAY BE THAT COULD BE THE REASON OF SIGNING 7 YEARS CONTRACT VIT THEM....... JUST SEEING A POSSIBILITY NO OFFENSE. GOOD LUCK MJ. I THINK NEED RELIEF FROM UR MOUNTED DEBTS. THERE IS ONE MORE THING TO ADD UP...........IF MJ IS ALIVE THE CONTRACT MUST HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY MJ OR ELSE IF HE IS REALLY DEAD THEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE N SINISTER IS HAPPENING . IF MJ IS REALLY DEAD THEN , HE WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED FOR HIS MUSIC STUFF TO ACQUIRE HIS ESTATE BY CREATING FAKE WILL.... OR IS HE DOING ALL THIS TO EXPOSE SOMEONE WHO TRIED TO BRING HIM DOWN........

Hello friends miss you!
I'll be honest, I have not read the 8 pages, but the last comment Deepu Pryanka, spoke little but all I think.
For me Michael is very much alive, and this is a great test.
Last night on a news program here in Rio de Janeiro, they reported this major contract, soon after on another channel the journalist reported this:
Family of Jackson signs the largest contract in history!
I thought: How so? Children can not sign anything, the family does not have any commitment to anything, who did it?
Lawyers, ok, but with orders? He had left it in the will? From what was reported the document was nothing authorizing the Sony and lawyers to create a contract of this magnitude.
Friends, this only confirms my theory.
Michael was behind everything, he sees everything, he knows everything, and manipulating, calling the shots in everything and everyone.
My fear is, that if he comes back, things can turn against him if there's one thing we can do is play with human feelings, you'll forgive me but this joke has gone too far.
I do not like, do not agree, I prefer the all clear, as it depends on me, no cd be bought, that he pay his debts, the clear so we can see,
This is the right attitude and just as it should be.
None of us deserve to pass and pay for it.
Again excuse the frankness.

I was talking to my aunt about this (she is MJ age) last week about MJ could still be alive... at first she was like no... then she thought about it, and was like you know what? Michael Jackson would do something like fake his death with his wild imagination LOL she laughed about it... I expect anything from Mr. Entertainment lol

[deepu priyanka]

I THINK MJ WILL BE THE RICHEST MAN AGAIN....... N WILL REGAIN HIS GLORY.

[deepu priyanka]

I THINK MJ IS BEHIND THE CONTRACT SIGNING .. WHO KNOWS HE MIGHT HAD PATCHED UP WITH THEM N THAT CAN BE POSSIBLE....NOW AT PRESENT HE MAY BE AT GOOD TERMS WITH THEM.... MAY BE THAT COULD BE THE REASON OF SIGNING 7 YEARS CONTRACT VIT THEM....... JUST SEEING A POSSIBILITY NO OFFENSE. GOOD LUCK MJ. I THINK NEED RELIEF FROM UR MOUNTED DEBTS. THERE IS ONE MORE THING TO ADD UP...........IF MJ IS ALIVE THE CONTRACT MUST HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY MJ OR ELSE IF HE IS REALLY DEAD THEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE N SINISTER IS HAPPENING . IF MJ IS REALLY DEAD THEN , HE WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED FOR HIS MUSIC STUFF TO ACQUIRE HIS ESTATE BY CREATING FAKE WILL.... OR IS HE DOING ALL THIS TO EXPOSE SOMEONE WHO TRIED TO BRING HIM DOWN........

Hello friends miss you!
I'll be honest, I have not read the 8 pages, but the last comment Deepu Pryanka, spoke little but all I think.
For me Michael is very much alive, and this is a great test.
Last night on a news program here in Rio de Janeiro, they reported this major contract, soon after on another channel the journalist reported this:
Family of Jackson signs the largest contract in history!
I thought: How so? Children can not sign anything, the family does not have any commitment to anything, who did it?
Lawyers, ok, but with orders? He had left it in the will? From what was reported the document was nothing authorizing the Sony and lawyers to create a contract of this magnitude.
Friends, this only confirms my theory.
Michael was behind everything, he sees everything, he knows everything, and manipulating, calling the shots in everything and everyone.
My fear is, that if he comes back, things can turn against him if there's one thing we can do is play with human feelings, you'll forgive me but this joke has gone too far.
I do not like, do not agree, I prefer the all clear, as it depends on me, no cd be bought, that he pay his debts, the clear so we can see,
This is the right attitude and just as it should be.
None of us deserve to pass and pay for it.
Again excuse the frankness.

BE CAREFUL CAUSE FRANK PEOPLE HERE GET BASHED UP FOR EVERYTHING....

[MJmakesmespeechless]

This is getting good. Iam so excited to hear "new" old music from Michael
On here however it says the first batch is expected by November. So do you think Michael may not come back this year now because of this?

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

[deepu priyanka]

I THINK MJ IS BEHIND THE CONTRACT SIGNING .. WHO KNOWS HE MIGHT HAD PATCHED UP WITH THEM N THAT CAN BE POSSIBLE....NOW AT PRESENT HE MAY BE AT GOOD TERMS WITH THEM.... MAY BE THAT COULD BE THE REASON OF SIGNING 7 YEARS CONTRACT VIT THEM....... JUST SEEING A POSSIBILITY NO OFFENSE. GOOD LUCK MJ. I THINK NEED RELIEF FROM UR MOUNTED DEBTS. THERE IS ONE MORE THING TO ADD UP...........IF MJ IS ALIVE THE CONTRACT MUST HAVE BEEN SIGNED BY MJ OR ELSE IF HE IS REALLY DEAD THEN SOMETHING TERRIBLE N SINISTER IS HAPPENING . IF MJ IS REALLY DEAD THEN , HE WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED FOR HIS MUSIC STUFF TO ACQUIRE HIS ESTATE BY CREATING FAKE WILL.... OR IS HE DOING ALL THIS TO EXPOSE SOMEONE WHO TRIED TO BRING HIM DOWN........

Hello friends miss you!
I'll be honest, I have not read the 8 pages, but the last comment Deepu Pryanka, spoke little but all I think.
For me Michael is very much alive, and this is a great test.
Last night on a news program here in Rio de Janeiro, they reported this major contract, soon after on another channel the journalist reported this:
Family of Jackson signs the largest contract in history!
I thought: How so? Children can not sign anything, the family does not have any commitment to anything, who did it?
Lawyers, ok, but with orders? He had left it in the will? From what was reported the document was nothing authorizing the Sony and lawyers to create a contract of this magnitude.
Friends, this only confirms my theory.
Michael was behind everything, he sees everything, he knows everything, and manipulating, calling the shots in everything and everyone.
My fear is, that if he comes back, things can turn against him if there's one thing we can do is play with human feelings, you'll forgive me but this joke has gone too far.
I do not like, do not agree, I prefer the all clear, as it depends on me, no cd be bought, that he pay his debts, the clear so we can see,
This is the right attitude and just as it should be.
None of us deserve to pass and pay for it.
Again excuse the frankness.

YES I THINK THE WAY U EXACTLY THINK..... MJ IS BEHIND ALL THIS.. KEEP WATCHING WITH THE MONEY HE GETS AFTER RELEASING HIS ALBUMS,,, HE WILL PAY ALL HIS DEBTS N MOVE WITH HIS CHILDREN TO A SECRET LOCATION WHICH WILL BE UNKNOWN TO THE WORLD..... AND GIRL PEOPLE WILL KEEP BELIEVING HE IS DEAD.... MAY BE THIS COULD BE HIS PLAN....OR HE MAY SHOW UP NEXT YEAR SUDDENLY... NOT THIS YEAR BECAUSE HIS MUSIC IS BEING RELEASED THIS YEAR..... N IF HE COMES BACK NO ONE WILL HIS STUFF.... BUT MJ PLEASE COME BACK .... ILU.

[Raven]

So do you think Michael may not come back this year now because of this?

Ehm...new deal is untill 2017...

[darkchild]

@ Darkchild...thank you so much.  That was very helpful.  I wonder who this attorney in Atlanta is.

You are so welcome, Jill.  I hope that the article was helpful to you.  I never heard of that lawyer before.  God bless you, Jill.  Thank you for being here with us on this great adventure!

[deepu priyanka]

LET US KEEP THE DEAL THING ASIDE.... WHAT I THINK IS MJ WONT BE SHOWING UP TILL HIS DEBTS ARE PAID OUT....  IF MJ IS ALIVE ,THE MAIN PURPOSE OF HOAXING HIS DEATH COULD BE DUE TO MOUNTED DEBTS.... TO BE FRANK MOST OF THE PEOPLE WERE LEAST INTERESTED IN HIM N HIS MUSIC , EXCEPT FANS LIKE US.... OUR POOR MICHAEL WAS COMPLETELY FADED N WAS CRITICIZED N RIDICULED BY EVERYBODY  EXCEPT SOME... N WAS SURROUNDED BY FROM ALLSIDES... AFTER HIS SUDDEN DEATH ,PEOPLES INTEREST IN HIM WAS AWAKENED N REVIVED TOTALLY N EVERYONE STARED BUYING HIS STUFF N STARTED LOVING HIM AGAIN. KEEP WATCHING HIS ALBUMS, WILL BE SOLD LIKE HOT CAKES .... I FEEL HAPPY FOR  MJ.LU.

[Happy Feet]

MJ doesn't own a large chunk of Sony. He's 50/50 of the publishing divison and of that 50% he owned he refinanced a large loan with Sony using the catalogue as collateral. With this deal came the conditional option giving Sony the right to purchase 25% of his remainding 50%. There was news as far back as 2006 regarding Sony refinancing his loans with Fortess. He merged his ATV calatolgue with the publishing division. That is only part of Sony, not half the company.

It was in Sony's best interest that they refinanced for him. They didn't do it for Michael. They did it for themselves. If he had gone into bankruptcy or default or whatever, his share of the catalogue would of been up for grabs and there would not be any shortage of buyers. Sony want the rest of the catalogue and keeping it with Michael would give them more a chance.

Again, this new contract is a win-win situation for Sony.

[Happy Feet]

You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login ... .html#more

Michael Jackson Estate's record deal raises questions

The Probate Lawyer Blog featured this article about the Michael Jackson Estate several weeks ago, posing the question of whether it is ethical for estate executors to seek a 10% fee for certain business deals they reach for such a high-profile estate. It's especially problematic when you factor in that one of the executors was Michael Jackson's attorney.

Well, this attorney, John Branca, and his co-executor, John McClain (a music executive), just hit the mother-load. It was widely reported yesterday that they brokered a deal worth up to $250 million dollars (that's right -- one quarter of a billion dollars!). What was the deal for? Sony announced a seven-year distribution agreement for unreleased music recorded by the late King of Pop (as well as related video footage).

Yes that means that Branca and McClain earned $12.5 million each for one deal.

Why do we question this? For several reasons, actually. First, it's the job of executors to bring in as much money as possible for an estate that has earning potential like this estate has. They shouldn't need a 10% incentive to do the job they're required by law to do.


Second, Branca, reportedly, is the attorney who prepared the will and trust that named him as the co-executor and co-trustee. Because of these documents that he created, he just made $12.5 million -- in addition to the other fees he's already earned (and will continue to earn).
Would it be ethical for an attorney to create a will for a client to sign that leaves $12.5 million to that attorney as a direct beneficiary? In most cases, no, it wouldn't. So why is this attorney allowed to earn that much as an executor fee?

Finally, there's the issue which we discuss in our book, "Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!", that Michael Jackson's Trust wasn't funded properly. If it had been, then his estate would have been kept out of court and handled in private. It's also entirely possible that his trust document (which hasn't been released to the public) may have specified what compensation the trustees would have received.

IF that's the case (just speculating here), then Branca and McClain wouldn't necessarily have been able to receive this percentage fee. But, because Jackson's Trust wasn't properly funded, thereby requiring it to pass through the probate court process, it opened the door to allow this type of fee to be approved by the judge (again, if the trust document addressed their compensation, which isn't unusual). And the judge did approve the executors' 10% fee in this case.

A properly-used estate plan would have bypassed court entirely. Jackson's estate plan didn't do that. The attorney who prepared that estate plan now just earned tens of millions of dollars because of that estate plan.

And it's all legal. But is it ethical?

Some feel it is. After all, Branca is a respected entertainment lawyer and McClain is an experienced music executive. They have the expertise to broker deals like this. And clearly, judging by the amount of money they've brought into the estate, they're good at what they do. And Michael Jackson's heirs are benefiting from their expertise.

If it's standard to compensate entertainment industry experts with this type of fee, why shouldn't Branca and McClain earn what may be considered fair compensation in that line of business?

There is some merit to this position. After all, Michael's mother, Katherine Jackson, spent months battling McClain and Branca in court over this estate (until she hired a new attorney, at which time she changed her position). Yet she didn't object to their 10% fee. If a primary beneficiary of Michael's estate didn't object to this generous fee, why should anyone else?

What do you think?

Posted by: Andrew W. Mayoras & Danielle B. Mayoras, co-authors of Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights! and co-founders of The Center for Probate Litigation and The Center for Elder Law in metro-Detroit, Michigan, which concentrate in probate litigation, estate planning, and elder law. Andrew & Danielle are husband and wife attorneys, professional speakers and consultants across the country.[/b]

[Happy Feet]

ARTICLE DATED JULY 2009

Los Angeles

2009 July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Mina Sirkin, an expert Trust and Estates attorney in Los Angeles says, "I have seen a lot of wills in my career, but the copy of Michael Jackson's will filed with the court leaves me with way too many questions as a trust and estates lawyer!"

While some believe everything they see filed in the courts as true, sometimes, you just have to ask questions about those documents.

In Michael Jackson's case, the copy of Michael's signature on the will (copy) doesn't look like the copy of Michael's signature on the birth certificate of his son Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., also known as Prince Michael Jackson. Some people may say, it's just the size of the signature because it is in a small box, but look closer ...

See the Will and signature of Michael Jackson on the copy of the will filed with the court here:
Michael Jackson Will Copy (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login ... py2002.pdf)

See Birth Certificate Picture here: Copy of Birth Certificate of Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login ... icates.pdf)

I'm not a document examiner, but I'm sure if the original actually turns up, that there will be dozens of forensic document examiners looking at the original signatures on all documents Michael may have signed around 2002.

Now, looking at all the other flaws, I noticed that the press version of the copy of the will redacted all the names and addresses of the witnesses, but my pre-press copy has the names of all the witnesses.

Two of the three witnesses are John McLain and Barry Siegel. Barry Siegel, a CPA who ran the Provident Financial Management, appears to have declined to act as a co-executor. But the letter attached to the petition which looks like a declination is not current. It is dated in 2003. This is unusual in that in most cases where a nominated executor declines to serve as executor, he or she will usually sign a declination after the death of the testator. This might infer some incident which caused Siegel to refuse the duty of executor between July, 2002 and August, 2003.

Need I say that even the copy of the signature of Barry Siegel on the alleged declination letter dated 2003 doesn't look like the copy of the Barry Siegel signature on the witness area dated 2002! Why on earth would the declination referred to in the August 26, 2003 letter not be an actual attachment to the petition? Who would think of that one?

The addresses of John McClain, and Barry Siegel are both redacted. The signature of the third witness is not legible. In California, witnesses are needed to authenticate a typed will. My guess is that Mr. McLain and Mr. Siegel, in the words of Desi Arnaz, "will have some esplaining to do... !"

"When they say, why, why, tell em' that it's human nature..." -- Michael Jackson

Mina Sirkin is a Family Trust Lawyer in Los Angeles, California. She was the expert on the Anna Nicole Smith case for CBS/KCAL9, Britney Spears Conservatorship and is currently the expert to CNN and Inside Edition (CBS). You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login. 818-340-4479. Press and Media Contact only: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login or Karen Reyes for interview scheduling: 818-340-4479 and 818-438-7170.

SOURCE Sirkin & Sirkin