Michael Jackson Estate Files Suit for Trademark Infringement
The estate of late pop star Michael Jackson filed suit recently against two California-based organizations that it claims have infringed on its "King of Pop" and "Thriller" trademarks while pretending to be a charitable organization endorsed by Jackson.
This is the first trademark infringement suit filed by the estate since Jackson's death in June of 2009. The Heal the World Foundation and an affiliated corporation called United Fleet were named in the suit, which states that the defendants have registered 6 trademarks and applied for 41 more that could be considered "identical or confusingly similar" to the Michael Jackson estate's trademarks. The suit seeks to both to prevent the defendants from using the trademarks and also asks for the destruction of any infringing products.
Trademarks were developed as a means of protecting the public by making it easy for them to identify the source of a given good. Trademark holders need to be vigilant to prevent their marks from being infringed upon by parties with no rights to the mark. This not only protects their financial interests but helps them maintain their good name with the public.
If you have an unresolved business legal matter, please contact a trademark attorney our firm for expert legal counsel.
Find out more about this story at Michael Jackson Estate Alleges Violations of Trademarks, Rights of Publicity.
