Hilco Licenses Bob Marley Rights

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bob Marley’s family has teamed up with private equity group Hilco Consumer Capital to handle licensing of the late reggae legend’s likeness, trademarks and themes on retail products ranging from apparel to video games.

Hilco will license products including, shoes, food, collectibles, luggage, musical instruments, and stationery, with the Bob Marley family of brands. In addition to Bob Marley, the group will also license products under the names of Tuff Gong, Catch A Fire, One Love, Three Little Birds and Relics of Antiquity, it said on Tuesday.

Hilco, which has compiled a stable of retail brands that include Ellen Tracy, Linens ‘n Things and The Sharper Image, paid some $20 million earlier this month for half of House of Marley LLC, a joint venture with the Marley family, a spokesman for the private equity group said.

Hilco is separately negotiating to acquire rights to instant-film creator Polaroid’s trademarks and to Fortunoff, a well-known New York jewelry and silverware retailer that recently filed for bankruptcy, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier, citing people familiar with the matter. (Reporting by Emily Chasan in New York and Ajay Kamalakaran in Bangalore; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)