Marilyn Monroe Rights Go to New Owners for Nearly $50 Million

NEW YORK - Nearly 50 years after the Hollywood icon’s death, Marilyn Monroe will soon get a new line of merchandise, and her likeness may appear in movies thanks to digital technology, the New York Post reported.

Those are the plans of Jamie Salter of Authentic Brands Group who partnered with media company Neca to acquire Monroe’s name and likeness in a deal with her estate this week for what the paper said was less than $50 million.

The company that also owns the Bob Marley brand is looking to reignite the Monroe business by putting her name and likeness on a wide range of such new merchandise as apparel, handbags, fragrances and home goods. But the firm is also looking to strike deals for the icon’s image to appear in future movies, possibly with the help of digital animation technology, it said without providing further details.

"We're not really interested in the trinkets and trash," Salter told The Post about his approach to the Monroe merchandising business. "Don't get me wrong, it's a good business -- calendars, posters and shot glasses - but that's not what we want to do with Marilyn Monroe."
 The key will be to "create products that people actually want to buy," Salter said.