Trust Counsel
November 21st, 2019
Marilyn Monroe’s timeless beauty and talent continue to captivate audiences, but estate battles shed light on the challenges of protecting intellectual property rights posthumously. Disputes emerged over the ownership and commercial use of her image and likeness.
The story of Marilyn Monroe is one filled with beauty, mystery, and tragedy. Fifty years after her sudden death in 1962, Marilyn Monroe is still very much an icon of beauty and glamour. But today, others are making big money off of Monroe’s estate, something that has frustrated and upset those who knew her.
Failure to create a plan to protect her estate and her legacy has enabled strangers to continue to profit off of the legacy she left behind.
Based on Monroe’s will and the testimony of her friends, it is unlikely that she would have wanted someone she didn’t know making millions by selling off her belongings and branding her face. But in the absence of an estate plan, there seems to be no way to stop it now. Had Monroe created a trust, which would have provided handsomely for her beloved acting coach during his lifetime, that trust could have then been used to give her remaining assets and wealth to Monroe’s choice of individuals or charities.
