MJ's This Is It Ripped Off From Former Pal Paul Anka

No sooner did Michael Jackson's posthumously released song, This Is It, hit the web this morning, than his former pal Paul Anka recognize it as the exact same song he wrote with Jackson in 1983, I Never Heard.

Anka told the NY Times that he was never contacted about the usage of his work, and when he realized he wasn't even credited as a writer on the song he told the paper, “They have a major, major problem on their hands. They will be sued if they don’t correct it.”

Anka and Jackson collaborated on the song in 1983, originally intended as a duet for Paul's Walk A Fine Line album. But Anka claims MJ stole the tapes after they were recorded, and he had to threaten to sue to get them back (which he eventually did.)

But Michael retained one tape, which contained MJ's vocals and backing piano, which Anka says is the basis for the recording released this morning.

And if there were any doubt as to Anka's claims, you just have to listen to the 1990 version of I Never Heard (which credits both Anka and Jackson), recorded by R&B artist Safire below.