Deceased celebrities: rich beyond death thanks to trademark rights
Deceased figures such as Elvis Presley, Albert Einstein, and Andy Warhol earn tens of millions because they are brands of enduring value. Greenlight, the rights clearance expert for the Corbis photo agency, manages the rights to these celebrities.
The latest list from the US business magazine Forbes shows the value of the image of deceased celebrities. The Forbes list is headed by designer Yves Saint Laurent, who died in June 2008 (350 million dollars), the composer duo Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein are in second place (235 million dollars), Michael Jackson in third place (90 million dollars). The list also includes Elvis Presley (55 million dollars), ex-Beatle John Lennon (15 million dollars) and Albert Einstein (10 million dollars).
The company Greenlight represents the rights of Albert Einstein, Bruce Lee, Johnny Cash, Steve McQueen, Thomas Edison and Andy Warhol, among others. "If a product is to be presented as particularly intelligent, the likeness of Einstein - or his famous formula for the theory of relativity - is often used," David Reeder, Vice President of Greenlight, is quoted as saying in a press release. Obtaining these rights for a campaign, for example, is handled by the company's rights service, which in turn has relations with Einstein's estate administration, Hebron University in Jerusalem.
The company Greenlight represents the rights of Albert Einstein, Bruce Lee, Johnny Cash, Steve McQueen, Thomas Edison and Andy Warhol, among others. "If a product is to be presented as particularly intelligent, the likeness of Einstein - or his famous formula for the theory of relativity - is often used," David Reeder, Vice President of Greenlight, is quoted as saying in a press release. Obtaining these rights for a campaign, for example, is handled by the company's rights service, which in turn has relations with Einstein's estate administration, Hebron University in Jerusalem.
(Pictures: Greenlight)
