Protecting The Sibelius Brand

The name of Jean Sibelius is as powerfully marketable as names get in Finland, the composer’s home country. But “the heirs of Sibelius are facing a dilemma: the composer’s copyright protection expires in 2027, 70 years after his death,” after which his name and music could be used by anyone wanting to make a quick buck off the association. So the heirs have trademarked the Sibelius name, but that very act compels them to issue products under the name themselves, or lose the trademark.