The California Appeals Court has granted Michael Jackson’s estate the green light to proceed with the $600 million sale of his music catalog to Sony Music, despite objections from his mother, Katherine Jackson.
Katherine argued that the sale violated Michael’s wishes, but the court ruled that the executors of his estate, John Branca and John McClain, acted within the broad powers granted to them by Michael’s will.
A month after issuing a tentative ruling, the court confirmed on Wednesday that the executors did not breach the terms of the will in negotiating the deal with Sony.
The court stated, “The will gave the executors broad powers of sale, with no exception for the specific assets at issue in this case.” It also dismissed Katherine’s appeal, noting that she failed to raise her arguments in a lower probate court.
While Katherine Jackson can still appeal to the California Supreme Court, her chances of overturning the ruling are slim.
Earlier this year, the Jackson estate and Sony Music reached an agreement for Sony to acquire half of the singer’s publishing and recorded masters catalog for over $600 million.
