With Michael jackson gone..who owns Northern Songs catalog now?

[nomis]

Did the Jacksons get Northern Songs or had MJ lost it to bank loans before he died?

[jobeterob]

If it wasn't lost, it formed part of his estate.

The beneficiaries of his estate are the legal owners; who inherited again? Did Katherine get 50% and the children 50%?

I am quite certain the estate is still being administered by the executors because there were huge debts to settle. At Michael Jackson's death, the estate could well have been bankrupt and from there forward, it generated huge income. That income has to be used to settle the debts of the estate, pay the executors, maximize the return to the estate, and eventually distribute the balance to the heirs as set out in the will, subject to any other valid claims being made. There would be very few other people that could potentially be heirs because brothers and sisters and parents and not entitled to anything unless provided for in the will. The few purported children that surfaced didn't amount to much, nor did Joe's specious claim.

[nomis]

the portfolio dosent just include the Beatles..there was James Brown,Sly stone songs in there as well as "Run Around Sue'.Toni Braxton songs and Oasis to name just a few..MJ was very astute when he came to buying publishing rights

[Doug-Morgan]

Doesn't Sony Music now hold the majority stake in Northern Songs? Memory says they obtained a large chunk of the publisher in a deal with Jackson 4 or 5 years ago.

[midnightman]

No his estate still controls it. Sony Music and his estate still co-owns it so he never lost it.

[jobeterob]

Under their publishing contract with Northern Songs, Lennon and McCartney were legally bound to continue their songwriting until 1973. The simplest way out, if they couldn't gain control, was to also sell out to ATV, while keeping the writer's royalties from their contracted songs. Lennon and McCartney sold their stock [[Lennon his 15%, McCartney's portion slightly higher, since he himself bought additional shares) in October 1969 for £3.5 million. Harrison and Starr chose to keep their shares.

ATV held its controlling interest in Northern Songs until 1985, when ATV Music went up for sale. Outbidding McCartney [[who'd tried unsuccessfully to persuade Yoko Ono to join him) was singer Michael Jackson, who won the bidding for a reported $47 million. The recent friendship and collaboration with McCartney and Jackson ended suddenly as a result. It turned out Ono had actually encouraged Jackson to buy the shares, telling the press after the sale, "I just feel like a friend has them."[citation needed] When asked how he felt about having Jackson as his "boss", as controller of the song catalogue, McCartney replied, "I think he needs to give me a raise."[citation needed] McCartney reportedly did ask Jackson for a royalty increase but was turned down, further cooling their relationship.[citation needed]

In 1995, Jackson merged his catalogue with Sony Music's publishing, for a reported $95 million, establishing Sony/ATV Music Publishing, in which he retained half-ownership.[5] In April 2006 a package was proposed whereby, Jackson would borrow $300 million and reduce the interest rate payable on a loan he had, while giving Sony the future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly-owned publishing company [[leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).[5] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal, although the finalised details were not made public.[6] McCartney's MPL Communications later succeeded in acquiring the publishing rights to "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me", "P.S. I Love You" and "Ask Me Why", from EMI, which were published by Ardmore and Beechwood, one of EMI's publishing companies, prior to Lennon and McCartney signing with Dick James.[7]

[tamla617]

thanks jobeterob,you covered that well