A copyright filing involving Brad Buxer, one of Michael Jackson’s longtime musical collaborators, has attracted attention among fans after records from the U.S. Copyright Office indicated a transfer of intellectual property rights to Direct Approach Consulting, LLC.
The filing was submitted on February 13, 2025, and reportedly registered recently. It lists a substantial collection of works associated with Buxer, including titles that have attracted interest among fans of Michael Jackson’s unreleased music.
However, the precise implications of the transfer remain unclear, and the filing should not be interpreted as confirmation that all the works listed are Michael Jackson recordings or that any are being prepared for release.
What Is Included in the Records?
The documentation contains 79 registration entries: 39 classified as sound recordings and 40 classified as musical works. Some titles appear in both categories, meaning the total does not represent 79 necessarily distinct songs.
Among the titles listed are “Adore You”, “Changes”, “Children’s Hour”, “Days in Gloucestershire”, “Don’t Be Messin’”, “Hollywood”, “I Am a Loser”, “I Was the Loser”, “Innocent Man”, “Jungle”, “Just Remember”, “Light the Way”, “Lovin You”, “Neverland Landing”, “Pray for Peace”, “Rocker”, “Thank Heaven” and “World of Candy”.
The records also include “Hollywood Tonight”, a song officially released on Michael Jackson’s posthumous album Michael in 2010, alongside other titles that have been discussed in connection with his unreleased catalogue.
Several entries are instrumental versions or related musical works, including “Michael’s Affirmation”, “Photographs 2”, “That”, “Think Twice”, “Walk Away” and “You Are There”.
The list also includes three entries titled “MJ / BB Orchestral Idea”, numbered 1, 2 and 3, as well as other working titles such as “11pm”, “Boy No”, “Brad Loop 3700”, “Green Hornet Groove”, “King Tutankhamun”, “Monster” and “Pajamas”.
The full list of titles recorded in the documentation is as follows:
11pm; Adore You; Bottom of My Heart; Boy No; Brad Loop 3.3.7 MJ; Brad Loop 3700; Changes; Children’s Hour; Days in Gloucestershire; Don’t Be Messin’; Green Hornet Groove; Hollywood; Hollywood Tonight; I Am a Loser; I Was the Loser; Innocent Man; Jungle; Just Remember; King Tutankhamun; Light the Way; Lovin You; Michael’s Affirmation; Michael’s Affirmation (Instrumental); MJ / BB Orchestral Idea #1; MJ / BB Orchestral Idea #2; MJ / BB Orchestral Idea #3; Monster; Neverland Landing; Pajamas; Photographs; Photographs 2 (Instrumental); Pray for Peace; Pray for Peace (Instrumental); Rocker; Thank Heaven; That (Instrumental); Think Twice (Instrumental); Walk Away (Instrumental); World of Candy; You Are There (Instrumental).
These are the titles appearing across the two categories, with overlapping entries consolidated into a single list. The official records should be consulted for the individual registration numbers and classifications.
What Does the Transfer Mean?
Brad Buxer worked closely with Michael Jackson as a keyboardist, producer, programmer and songwriter. Their musical partnership contributed to several officially released tracks, including “Stranger in Moscow”, “Hollywood Tonight” and “Best of Joy”.
The reported transfer raises questions about the future administration and ownership of certain works connected to Buxer’s musical catalogue. However, the precise scope of the rights transferred cannot be established from the list of titles alone.
Copyright in a musical composition and copyright in a particular sound recording are distinct rights. A transfer involving one does not necessarily mean the recipient controls the other, and additional rights holders may be involved.
The registration therefore does not establish that Direct Approach Consulting, LLC owns all rights to the recordings, that it controls Michael Jackson’s unreleased music generally, or that the listed works will be officially released.
“Monster” Among the Listed Works
One of the most notable titles in the copyright records is “Monster”, a track released on Michael Jackson’s 2010 posthumous album Michael. The song later became part of the controversy surrounding the album’s disputed vocal recordings and was subsequently removed from the album’s track listing on streaming services.
The U.S. Copyright Office’s sound recording registration for “Monster”, dated October 15, 2010, identifies Bradley Buxer, Michael Durham Prince and Michael Jackson in connection with the recording. The Estate of Michael J. Jackson is also listed among the copyright claimants.
The appearance of “Monster” in the more recent list of works associated with the reported rights transfer is noteworthy. However, the record alone does not establish which specific rights in the song were transferred, or whether the transfer has any connection to the track’s removal from streaming services.
Its inclusion nevertheless highlights why the filing has attracted attention: the catalogue includes not only titles associated with unreleased material, but also a song that was officially released and subsequently became the subject of considerable controversy.
Is This Connected to the 2026 Music Leak?
The filing date is also important. The documentation was submitted in February 2025, well before the major leak of Michael Jackson-related unreleased music that came to public attention in 2026.
There is currently no established connection between the rights transfer and that leak. The timing of the filing means it should be treated as a separate development unless further evidence establishes otherwise.
For fans who continue to hope for officially released material from Michael’s extensive recording archive, the records are nevertheless worth following. They provide a detailed list of works associated with Buxer and raise questions about how certain rights are being managed.
For now, however, there has been no confirmed announcement of an album, compilation or individual song release resulting from this transfer.
