Michael Jackson's estate just got a partner it didn't bank on -- because we've just learned Paul Anka is now a 50% partner in the publishing rights to "This Is It."
Anka will get other profits as well, but the publishing rights are usually the big ticket item, and sources say Michael Jackson's estate has agreed Anka gets 50%.
It's amazing ... when Paul Anka woke up this morning he had no idea he'd get the same cut as Jackson's estate. Sadly for Sony ... they didn't know either.
The Challenge: Try to get through this post without getting the song "I Like to Move It" stuck in your head ... we dare you.
The Story: The horribly catchy "Move It" song is at the center of a pretty nasty legal battle involving some Americans ... some Germans ... and part of Madagascar.
The US-based record company who owns the rights to the 1993 hit claims some German musicians made a cover version of the song without proper permission back in 2005 -- right after the original song was featured in the 2005 movie "Madagascar."
In the lawsuit, filed in federal court in NY, the Americans claim ze Germans tried to capitalize on the song's recaptured fame by selling the unlicensed cover here in the good ole US of A.
Now, the Americans are suing for damages and demanding ze Germans "destroy all copies of the Infringing Records."
Fergie, Will.i.am and others have been sued by Grounded Music, which claims Fergie's "Voodoo Doll" song is a rip-off of "Waterfall," a song recorded by the group Groundation.
Grounded Music, which holds the copyright to "Waterfall," alleges in the federal lawsuit that the 2006 Fergie song, "is substantially and strikingly similar" to "Waterfall," which was recorded in 2000.
The guy Kelly Clarkson blames for allegedly making her look like a song-stealing rip-off artist claims he would never 'dupe' anyone -- and the idea is both "hurtful and absurd."
Clarkson basically threw producer Ryan Tedder under the bus after people pointed out her new single "Already Gone" has the same backing track as Beyonce's single, "Halo" -- which are both songs Tedder produced.
Now, Tedder is firing back at Clarkson with the following statement:
"Already Gone" is one of the best song I've written or produced since "Bleeding Love" and stands tall on it's own merits apart from "Halo".
They are two entirely different songs conceptually, melodically, & lyrically and I would never try to dupe an artist such as Kelly Clarkson or Beyoncé into recording over the same musical track, the idea is both hurtful & absurd.
The song -- "A Place with No Name" -- sounds similar to the song "A Horse withNo Name" released by the group America back in 1971. We're told several years ago America's manager gave his group's permission for Michael Jackson to record the song, "A Place with No Name" -- despite the similarity.
America's current manager, Jim Morey, who was also Michael's manager in the late 80's and early 90's, tells us, "The band was honored that Michael chose to do their song and they hope it becomes available for all Michael's fans to hear."
It's been 32 years since "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" -- but Mary herself still knows every word to the show's theme song ... and yesterday in D.C., the 72-year-old sang the entire thing -- but what's the deal with the hat?
If you've ever wondered what a cat sounds like when it's being strangled, then you're gonna love the supposed raw, unedited, "board mix" of Beyonce Knowles from her "Today Show" performance last year -- courtesy of Howard Stern.
The King of All Media ran the supposedly leaked audio clip on his Sirius radio show yesterday.
A publicist lying? Yes, the publicist for record producer Polow Da Don -- who has produced songs for Chris Brown and Rihanna in the past -- lied about the so-called duet they were supposedly recording last weekend.
E! Online first reported that Brown and Rihanna were in a Santa Monica studio earlier this month recording a duet with producer Polow Da Don. Three people from TMZ then contacted Polow Da Don's publicist, who not only said the E! story was true but gave us details -- that Chris and Rihanna were engaged in "playful touching" and the session was packed with "emotion."
We've now learned it was B.S. -- Brown was in the studio last weekend, but he was not with Rihanna, and the producer is not Polow Da Don. Now the publicist says she was really referring to a song Rihanna recorded in the past -- but that ain't what she said before.
Brown's people are frustrated that people in his world are shoveling lies. They asked us to say the following: Brown and Rihanna are not married, she is not pregnant, he is not doing an animal rescue nor is he doing a mea culpa tour.
TMZ now has all the details about the secret late-night recording sessions between Rihanna and Chris Brown -- and they were jam-packed with emotion and serious drama, with some playful touching -- seriously.
The whole thing came together when they decided to reconcile shortly after the attack. Sources tell us music producer Polow Da Don convinced both Chris and Rihanna to get in the studio and record a love song stat, stressing that timing was important because the heightened emotions would translate powerfully into the music.
Both Rihanna and Chris agreed and snuck in a couple of "late night" sessions that we're told were "very, very emotional ... the feeling in the room was pure love." Clearly, love hurts.
As for how they got along, they were "playfully touching each other."
We're told the song was originally written for Rihanna before the fight, but after the beat down the producer believed the track -- which ironically focuses on overcoming difficult challenges as a couple -- would be the perfect duet.
Samantha Ronson dedicated a song to Lindsay last night -- a song that was very telling about their volatile relationship.
During the acoustic concert at Genghis Cohen in L.A., Sam got "awwwws" from the crowd when she told 'em "This is for Lindsay," but the song included lyrics like "I'll follow you out of control ... I'm falling after you, in and out of love." In her dedication Sam also said, "You get your heart broken sometimes and then you unbreak it and break it again."
Linds was there -- sitting front row with a digital camera -- and said the song made her mad. Fight 3,173 on the way?
In her latest WTF moment, Amy Wineheezy's hubby eggs her and a friend on as they sing a totally disgusting and racist song. This one ain't gonna make the Top 40.
Winehouse later apologized for the offensive ditty.
TMZ has learned a man named Maurice Foreman, straight from the hills of Kentucky, claims it's no coincidence that his song "Slow Death" is similar to Kid Rock's hit "So Hott" -- and he's suit filin' mad!
Foreman sought Steppin' Out's Chaunce Hayden's help in finding legal representation, claiming that he has the copyright to his song written in 1997. Foreman claims that Rock sings "so hot" three times, just like he sang "slow death," and says that the lead guitar notes are identical.
Unfortunately, Maurice tells Hayden, he's "a poor guy who works in a factory so I don't have a lot of money," which has made it hard for him to find a lawyer, but if he does have a case, thar's money in them thar hills!
TMZ called Rock's reps for comment, but haven't yet heard back.
Does he have a case? Listen to both tunes and vote!
Michael Jackson's estate just got a partner it didn't bank on -- because we've just learned Paul Anka is now a 50% partner in the publishing rights to "This Is It."
The song -- "A Place with No Name" -- sounds similar to the song "A Horse with No Name" released by the group America back in 1971. We're told several years ago America's manager gave his group's permission for Michael Jackson to record the song, "A Place with No Name" -- despite the similarity.
TMZ has learned a man named Maurice Foreman, straight from the hills of Kentucky, claims it's no coincidence that his song "Slow Death" is similar to Kid Rock's hit "So Hott" -- and he's suit filin' mad! 
