Michael Jackson’s estate sues foundation over trademarks, ‘Heal the World’ name

Jackson estate sues foundation over name

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson’s estate has filed a federal lawsuit against a foundation that bears the name of one of his most famous songs, “Heal the World.”

The lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles claims the Heal the World Foundation is improperly using trademarks and Web sites to create the impression they were approved by Jackson to solicit donations.

An after-hours phone message to the foundation was not immediately returned.

The suit claims Jackson created a charity based on his hit “Heal the World” in 1992, but it dissolved a decade later.

The current Heal the World Foundation was formed in 2008 and trademarked its name. The lawsuit claims the foundation has sought trademarks for terms associated with Jackson, such as the initials “MJ” and “King of Pop.”