Rita Marley. - Contributed

THERE ARE conflicting views from relatives of Bob Marley on a recent decision by the family to use his image on a new line of products, including snowboards and beer.

The singer's wife, Rita, is defending the deal with Canadian company Hilco, which has been mandated to boost the Marley legend through a worldwide marketing blitz. But Ziggy Marley, the reggae singer's eldest son, says he is concerned about his father becoming a product.

"We have a brand that is a loaded brand, but there are areas where we could be doing better, so they (Hilco) have said, 'Come on guys, we are going to help you'," Rita Marley told The Gleaner recently.

The deal will see Hilco tracking illegal use of the Marley image and name. But the company's main thrust is overseeing the revival of daughter Cedella's Catch A Fire clothing line and launching a series of products, which include a Marley lager.

Ziggy Marley - File

Speaking to The Gleaner from Los Angeles last week, Ziggy Marley said he was 'skeptical' about the Hilco arrangement.

"It's a family decision, but I'm not in total agreement with it. I want to make sure everything is in accordance with my father's message, so I'll be watching to see how things go," he said.

His mother sees nothing wrong with producing a Marley beer.

"I drink beer, Bob drink beer, his boys drink beer. He never drank alcohol but him love him Guinness and him roots," she said.

Crack down

Hilco's Toronto-based CEO Jamie Salter has been given the task to broker licensing deals and crack down on Marley bootlegs. She told Canada's CBC News recently that Marley products make US$1 billion annually.

Bob Marley was a Rastafarian and a steadfast opponent of the 'system'. Many of his songs had anti-establishment themes which made him an icon of the counterculture of his era.

Message musicians like Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen have turned a blind eye to commercialism. But others, including the Rolling Stones, have done megatours sponsored by corporate giants like Budweiser beer.

Significant growth

Marley's mystique has grown considerably since his death from cancer, at age 36, in 1981. Legend, a compilation of his best-known songs, has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and is one of the most enduring albums on Billboard magazine's catalogue chart.

The Marley family have endorsed or launched several ventures bearing the singer's name, including a theme park in Florida and a spa that opened in The Bahamas in 2007.