When Branca learned that the Australian tycoon who owned ATV was putting the company up for sale, Branca and Jackson put in a bid. Michael Jackson's lawyer, John Branca, knew Jackson was looking for songs to buy. It also owned Little Richard's Tutti Frutti. In 1985, music publisher ATV owned the rights to some 4,000 songs, including more than 200 by The Beatles. Contracts vary but, traditionally, that money is split 50/50 with the songwriter.
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Anytime a song is performed, played on TV or radio, used in a commercial, etc., the publisher collects royalties. McCartney told CBS-TV in a 1989 interview that Jackson joked to him "One day I'll own your songs." To McCartney's shock, Jackson was true to his word.Ī music publisher owns the rights to a song's lyrics and composition. It all started when Paul McCartney advised his young friend Michael Jackson that, to really make money in the music industry, you needed to own the publishing of hit songs. Sony's purchase marks the culmination of one of the most remarkable stories in the history of the music business. The backstory here has more twists and shouts than a long and winding road (Couldn't resist, but note that the rights to both "Twist and Shout" and "The Long and Winding Road" belong to Sony/ATV). The Sony Corporation has announced it will pay Michael Jackson's estate $750 million for Jackson's 50 percent share of the Sony/ATV music publishing company. Jackson's share of the rights to many Beatles songs has been purchased by Sony.
Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson in 1983.