Music producer Quincy Jones - who produced some of Michael Jackson's biggest hits including 'Thriller' - is suing the Michael Jackson estate over claims they re-edited his songs to avoid paying royalties.
The music producer and close friend of the late King of Pop - who produced some of his biggest hits including 'Thriller' and 'Billie Jean' - is seeking $10 million from the estate and record label Sony Music Entertainment, claiming that they re-edited Michael's hit songs in order to avoid paying him royalties and production costs.
The 80-year-old music expert believes tracks he produced for the singer have been improperly edited and featured in 2009 musical documentary 'This Is It' and a pair of Cirque du Soleil stage shows which are based on Michael's music.
Quincy feels he should have received a producer credit on the 2009 film, which chronicled Michael's preparation for his stage return at The O2 in London prior to his untimely death in June 2009, and he is seeking an investigation into the estate's accounting to determine how much he is owed from the profits of the film and theatre productions.
The lawsuit also claims that Quincy's contracts with Michael stipulate that he should have had first refusal to re-edit or alter any songs he has produced.
However, Michael's estate contends that the producer has been "appropriately" paid royalties for his contributions to the late star's career.
The estate said: "To the best of its knowledge, Mr. Jones has been appropriately compensated over approximately 35 years for his work with Michael."
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