Michael Jackson's Estate Sues Unauthorized Memorabilia Website

Michael Jackson's estate is suing a businessman who has teamed up with the King of Pop's mother, Katherine, to market memorabilia related to the late star on jacksonsecretvault.com, Reuters reports.

The lawsuit alleges that the website "does absolutely everything in its power to suggest to its visitors that it is the hub for all things Michael Jackson, and that it is sanctioned and supported by the estate, when in fact it is neither."

The site markets "official" memorabilia, which is apparently authorized by Katherine Jackson, but not Michael's official estate. The suit against the site accuses its related parties of copyright infringement and misappropriation of likeness. The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Michael Jackson's estate attorney, Howard Weitzman said that, "People who trade off Michael's personality, copyrights, and trademarks should not be allowed to exploit the legacy of one of the world's most recognized talents for their own benefit."
Katherine Jackson is not named in the lawsuit, and a spokesman for the estate declined to comment. Katherine is a beneficiary of Michael's estate and the guardian of his three children Blanket, Paris, and Prince.