Auction of 1,000 Jackson family items to go ahead

Pop icon Michael Jackson will not block an auction of his personal items and other Jackson family memorabilia after reaching an agreement with the company that is planning the sale.

Lawyers for the singer say Jackson has reached a confidential agreement with the auction house, the Florida company that now owns the items and the man who claimed a warehouse full of Jackson memorabilia.

Universal Express, out of Boca Raton, Fla., received thousands of Jackson family items from Henry Vacaro, a onetime Jackson partner, as part of a bankruptcy case.

In 2002, Vacaro was awarded ownership of a warehouse full of Jackson family belongings in a previous case involving Michael's parents, Katherine and Joe Jackson, and brothers Tito and Jermaine in 2002.

Michael Jackson filed a motion in Aprilto block the sale, have the property returned and get punitive damages.

According to his spokesperson, Raymone Bain, some of the auction's proceeds will go to charity. No details of amounts or names of charities have been released.Some items have alsobeen released back to Jackson.

The auctionis in Las Vegas on May 30and 31 at the Hard Rock hotel.

Universal Express Inc. claims to be the owner of the items, which are said to be worth about $50 million US, according to court records.

Up for auction are about 1,000 items, including the handwritten lyrics for the Jackson Five hit ABC, Jackson's gold record for his Thriller album and the 48-year-old performer's silk jacket with gold epaulets.