<p>Roommates, Michael Jackson&#8217;s estate has been in an ongoing battle with HBO after the network released its<em> Leaving Neverland</em> documentary about his life in 2019, and an appeals court just turned things in their favor.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/michael-jackson-leaving-neverland-lawsuit-appeal-1234853036/">Variety</a>, the Jackson estate sued HBO for $100 million, arguing that the documentary violated a 27-year-old non-disparagement clause from a 1992 concert film from the &#8220;Dangerous&#8221; tour. HBO argued in court that the clause is not relevant to the present issues of the case, and accused the Jackson estate of seeking to silence victims of sexual abuse.</p>
<p>Last year, a lower court granted the estate&#8217;s motion to take the dispute to arbitration, which HBO appealed. As of Monday, however, the judges ruled that the case is worthy of an appeal, despite HBO&#8217;s claims that the lawsuit is &#8220;frivolous.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The contract contained a broad arbitration clause that covers claims that HBO disparaged Jackson in violation of ongoing confidentiality obligations,&#8221; the panel ruled. &#8220;We may only identify whether the parties agreed to arbitrate such claims; it is for the arbitrator to decide whether those claims are meritorious.&#8221;</p>
<p>HBO&#8217;s goal was to avoid arbitration, explaining that the network never intended to grant Michael Jackson and his estate a veto over anything the network may have wanted to say about him. They also argued that the contract expired after both sides fulfilled their obligations.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Jackson&#8217;s attorneys, Howard Weitzman and Jonathan Steinsapir, were pleased with the ruling.</p>
<p>&#8220;The trial judge and now the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals have unanimously rejected HBO&#8217;s arguments,&#8221; they said. &#8220;In the court&#8217;s own words, HBO &#8216;agreed that it would not make any disparaging remarks concerning Jackson.&#8217; It&#8217;s time for HBO to answer for its violation of its obligations for Michael Jackson.&#8221;</p>
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