Indiana

"Some time ago, the media came up with the idea that Michael Jackson was going to leave his share in the Beatles' songs to me in his will," McCartney wrote on his website. "[It] was completely made up."

That "idea" was first reported by the Mirror in January. Jackson, their source alleged, had decided to build bridges with McCartney by drawing up a new will that left him his share of the Beatles' back catalogue. But after Jackson's death on 25 June, there was no sign of this will ? and the singer's assets were all left to a trust.

"The report is that I am devastated to find that he didn't leave the songs to me," McCartney wrote. "This is completely untrue. I had not thought for one minute that the original report [about the will] was true, and therefore the report that I'm devastated is also totally false."

Second, I think it has become increasingly clear that Michael Jackson was not too shabby at handling his business.

Third, regardless of what you might think, trademarks are an asset, a type of property, stuff that belongs to whoever is the copyholder.

Copyrights are not to be just given away. Of all the people who know this, the ones who may know this best are writers. I guess music writers know this less.