Quincy Jones was awarded $9.4 million (all figures U.S.) Wednesday after a jury decided he was owed royalties from music he created with the late Michael Jackson.
Jones, 84, sued Jackson’s estate in 2013 seeking $30 million in royalties he believed he was cheated out of since the King of Pop’s death in 2009.
“Although this judgement is not the full amount that I was seeking, I am very grateful that the jury decided in our favour in this matter,” Jones said in a statement. “I view it not only as a victory for myself personally, but for artists’ rights overall.”
He added: “As an artist, maintaining the vision and integrity of one’s creation is of paramount importance. I, along with the team I assembled with Michael, took great care and purpose in creating these albums, and it has always given me a great sense of pride and comfort that three decades after they were originally recorded, these songs are still being played in every corner of the world.”
Jones was behind Jackson’s Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad albums.
According to testimony during the trial, Jones has received about $18 million in royalties since Jackson died.
“This lawsuit was never about Michael, it was about protecting the integrity of the work we all did in the recording studio and the legacy of what we created,” reads the statement from Jones.
Lawyers for Jackson’s estate countered in a statement: “Although Mr. Jones is portraying this is a victory for artists’ rights, the real artist is Michael Jackson and it is his money Mr. Jones is seeking.”