Los Angeles ( CNN ) -- A bitter legal dispute between Michael Jackson 's estate and a business partner of the late pop icon 's mother was settled Tuesday , just before a trial on the matter was to begin , lawyers said . In the end , the lawyer for Katherine Jackson , who was not a party to the lawsuit , mediated the agreement , which gives the estate $ 2.5 million from the several companies involved . A federal judge had already ruled that Howard Mann and several associated companies violated Jackson 's copyrights , which are controlled by his estate executors , and the only question for a jury was how much should be paid in damages . `` In light of the court 's rulings for the estate on summary judgment , this settlement seems appropriate for all concerned , '' estate lawyers Howard Weitzman and Zia Modabber said in a statement to CNN on Tuesday . Mann 's company published Katherine Jackson 's 150-page coffee table book `` Never Can Say Goodbye , The Katherine Jackson Story '' two years ago and established a website -- MichaelJacksonSecretVault.com -- that the estate argued illegally used Jackson 's images and lyrics . `` This was a long , complex and difficult litigation that in the end will likely be equitable for Mrs. Jackson and the other parties involved , '' Mann said . `` This settlement would not have been possible without Perry Sanders ( Katherine Jackson 's lawyer ) , who worked to bridge quite a distance . '' `` I really really appreciated the reasonableness of all parties involved , and everyone is served well by getting this wrapped up , '' said Sanders , who helped mediate the settlement this week . The resolution of the dispute represents a new twist in the contentious relationship between the executors who control Michael Jackson 's estate and the members of the Jackson family and some of their business associates . E-mails show promoter 's doubts before Michael Jackson 's death . Mann 's involvement with the Jacksons began when he partnered with Henry Vaccaro , who bought a large amount of Jackson memorabilia purchased at an auction after Katherine and Joe Jackson 's 1999 bankruptcy . A lien will be placed on those photos and other assets until a portion of the settlement is paid , a lawyer said . Katherine Jackson was not a defendant , but her name and those of her husband , Joe Jackson , and children Janet , Randy , Tito and Jermaine Jackson were on the defense witness list . The estate accused Mann of `` wholesale misappropriation '' of Michael Jackson copyrights and acting with `` arrogant disregard '' for the estate 's rights by using unauthorized images . While the estate claimed the book sold about 25,000 copies for $ 1.5 million in the first two days , Mann 's lawyers contended `` actual sales are very minimal and the defendant 's businesses have suffered a major net loss . '' The copyright violations also included screen shots from the `` This Is It '' documentary about the singer 's last days and other `` misappropriated '' images , including Jackson 's `` Smooth Criminal Lean , '' which Mann 's company used in its corporate logo . Mann 's website , which the judge already ordered to be taken offline , `` does absolutely everything in its power to suggest to its visitors that it is the hub for all things Michael Jackson , and that it is sanctioned and supported by the estate , when in fact it is neither , '' the estate argued .
Companies involved agreed to pay the estate $ 10 million for copyright violations . ` ` This settlement seems appropriate for all concerned , '' Jackson 's estate says . Jackson estate accused Howard Mann of ` ` wholesale misappropriation '' of copyrights . Mann 's company published Michael Jackson 's autobiographical ` ` Never Can Say Goodbye ''