Michael Jackson estate suing Go Daddy over casino
Yesterday I reported that the Michael Jackson estate is suing over a shady online casino that uses MJ’s name and likeness. Now things are getting bigger and nastier. A separate lawsuit will now involve GoDaddy.com, the popular domain name registrar.
As mentioned yesterday, Michael Jackson Casino features a number of photos of Jackson from different movies, videos, posters and other promotional spots. Howard Weitzman, an attorney for the Michael Jackson estate, is suing the company over using his name and likeness without permission. Now another Howard – Howard Mann, to be exact – is suing the online casino and Go Daddy, claiming that he owns the copyright to the photos featured on the website.
Go Daddy is perhaps best known for their commercials that feature hot women (sometimes Danica Patrick) in ridiculously innuendo-laden situations. They also sell domain names and host websites, though, in case you were wondering.
I’m not a legal expert, but it seems unlikely that Mann could win a lawsuit against Go Daddy. All they did is sell the domain name to the casino and agree to host the site. I don’t believe they have any legal obligation to make sure the content of the site does not infringe on the copyrights of others. Even Mann admits that the reason he named Go Daddy in the lawsuit is to “flush out the name of the person” who owns Michael Jackson Casino. That casino owner is currently unknown.
A Go Daddy representative said that the company will “vigorously defend itself.” He also stated that when their “customers are involved in a legal dispute, Go Daddy complies with court orders.” Mann is seeking more than $100 million in damages from both websites.
Aside from claiming ownership of the copyright to Jackson’s images, Mann co-authored a coffee table book on Jackson and is producing a new documentary with Katherine Jackson. That documentary itself is not without legal controversy, with the Jackson estate claiming exclusive rights to Jackson’s name and image while Katherine Jackson and Howard Mann claim ownership as well.
*No Michael Jackson photo accompanies this story because I don’t want to get sued next.