Michael Jackson Estate Sues Charity

The estate of late pop icon Michael Jackson is to take legal action after a charity wrongly implied he supported their work.

One of the richest entertainers on the planet, Michael Jackson also gave huge amounts away to charity. In fact, his later money problems could well have been eased if the King Of Pop had curbed his gifts to countless charities.

The singer even earned a place in the Guinness Book Of Records for his philanthropy, giving away colossal amounts to charitable causes.

However in an odd twist the singer's estate has found itself at odds with a charity which claims to have the support of Michael Jackson. Named Heal The World Foundation after one of the singer's tracks, lawyers for the Jackson estate are at loggerheads with the charity.

A new legal action, filed in the US Federal Court, says Jackson's own Heal The World charity is no longer active.

Lawyers for the Michael Jackson estate claim that the charity uses websites and documents which claim patronage from the singer. As a result, they are suing the charity for unfair competition and other violations.

The singer's estate is demanding the Heal The World Foundation stops using words and phrases associated with the late star, including 'King of Pop' and 'Thriller'.

Legal papers filed by Michael Jackson's estate also claimed that the charity have registered a number of Jackson-related trademarks, applied for a further 41 and sold merchandise using them.

The Heal The World Foundation bills themselves as a "universal charity organization designed to improve the conditions of all mankind".