‘Michael Jackson: The Last Photo Shoot’ documentary has caused a bevy of controversy. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the production company behind the documentary has filed a lawsuit against the executors of Michael Jackson’s estate for revealing never-before-seen footage taken of Jackson in 2007.
The film’s director, Craig Williams, claims the footage was taken at the Brooklyn Museum of Art for Ebony magazine in attempt to make a comeback for the late singer. However, Howard Weitzman, attorney for the Jackson estate isn’t buying it. The Hollywood Reporter claims that Weitzman believes the images are private, and that Michael “never agreed [they] could be publicly and commercially exploited without his consent and/or involvement.”
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According to a complaint filed in New York federal court, the Jackson camp was able to purchase rights in 2011, but declined. In response, Weitzman wrote a letter to the production company stating that Jackson approved the footage for his own use and that because its a work-for-hire agreement, Jackson should be considered the author for copyright purposes.
Now, the documentary maker is going to court to claim it isn’t infringing copyrights.