OJ Simpson book rights pass to Goldman

The rights to O.J Simpson's controversial book 'If I did it' have finally been awarded to the family of Ron Goldman, whose murder the star was controversially cleared of.

A federal judge in Miami, Florida, approved the relatives' settlement with a court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, giving them the rights to the book on Monday.

Simpson was due to release the book - in which he hypothetically places himself at the scene of the murders of his wife Nicole Brown and her friend Goldman in 1994 - last year, but it was withdrawn by its publisher 10 days before its launch.

During Monday's hearing Ron Goldman's father broke down, and said: "After 13 years of trying to get some justice for Ron, today's the first time that we had any sense of seeing some light at the end of the tunnel."

Lawyers for the Goldmans reveal they plan to use publishing, film or TV deals from the book to help satisfy a $33.5m (€24m) wrongful death judgment won by the family against Simpson in 1997.

Relatives of Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown made a last minute bid for 40% of the book proceeds but the judge rejected their plea.

However, under Monday's ruling the Goldmans are required to give a court-appointed trustee 10% of the first $4m (€3m) in gross proceeds and a percentage of all proceeds beyond that. The Brown family will receive most of that money.