Bob Marley Sells Out

Bob Marley's family has signed a deal with private equity firm Hilco Consumer Capital to licence the late reggae great's likeness for a wide array of products.

You may soon see Marley's face on beer, coffee, headphones, cafes, hotels, snowboards, shoes, electronic products, luggage, video games, musical instruments and stationery as part of the agreement to develop and manage merchandise.

"We're open to licensing just about anything," Marley's oldest daughter Cedella told BBC News, before adding, "If it is not right, we will not do it."

In addition to the obvious money-making possibilities, the Marley estate entered the partnership to try and combat the worldwide sale of unlicensed counterfeit Marley merchandise that's estimated to be worth $600 million U.S. (about $745 million Canadian) annually.

"This is a big business for bootleggers," said Marley. "We want to stop some of the nonsense and make sure the great stuff upholds our standards. We're in control."

Products will also be licensed under the Marley-related names of Tuff Gong, Catch A Fire, One Love, Three Little Birds and Relics Of Antiquity as part of the deal that saw Hilco pay approximately $20 million U.S. for half of House Of Marley LLC, a joint venture with the Marley family.

Hilco CEO James Salter said in a statement that he believes the combined brands could rack up $1 billion U.S. in annual sales in the next few years.

"The consumer demand for products that represent and capture what Bob Marley stood for has only grown over time — with new generations being introduced to him through his music, his cultural contributions and the many iconic images from his performances and life," Salter said in a press release announcing the agreement.

Marley died of cancer at age 36 in 1981, but has become more popular now than when he was alive. The 1984 Legend compilation of his most popular songs is the biggest selling reggae album in history and has surpassed 20 million copies. Marley was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1994.