/ The Power of Music Goes Beyond Melodies
April 21, 2025Senior Associate
Music is the art of combining sounds and silences to create beauty, harmony, and express emotion. But how can something so intangible be capitalized on? This is precisely where intellectual property (IP) comes into play, and it does so in extraordinary ways for all the actors involved in the music ecosystem.
While artists give meaning to music, it’s not only within that sphere where various interests flourish. Trademarks play a major role in the development of businesses linked to artists, as products and services are often directly tied to their fame and public recognition.
Prince is one of those legendary stars who gave everything—and more—through his art. So significant was his legacy that he adopted an unpronounceable symbol as his name, which was registered as a label combining the symbols for male and female. Beyond his trademark, there was a unique association with the color purple, so iconic that Pantone created a custom shade in his honor: Love Symbol #2 – Pantone PQ-7448C. While registering colors as trademarks is not easy and depends on the applicable law in each case, the visual and symbolic power of his identity allowed him to consolidate a truly unique image.
Exploring new markets, such as the cosmetics industry, has proven successful for many artists. Ariana Grande has launched a product line under her commercial name, integrating the titles of her songs into various fragrances like “God is a Woman” and “Thank U, Next”, all of which are properly registered. Her cosmetics brand, R.E.M. Beauty, takes its name from one of her best-known songs, reinforcing the connection between her music and her products.
Selena Gomez followed a similar path with Rare Beauty, a cosmetics brand named after her album “Rare”, giving her legal control over the commercial use of that artistic concept.
Collaborations with major brands are undoubtedly another key avenue to explore. From a legal standpoint, these collaborations involve critical IP considerations, embedded in every agreement between artists and companies, to ensure proper use and compliance with the terms related to all intangible assets. This paves the way for future licensing deals, asset transfers, and broader monetization of registered trademarks and their rights. Think of collaborations between musicians and iconic brands in sportswear, luxury fashion, and streetwear, or bands appearing in series, cameos in films, just to name a few.
The power of trademark registration is reflected in the commercial success of products and services in the market. A strong IP portfolio strategy gives artists the opportunity to expand their horizons.