Will the doll and the comic book start a deluge of tasteless tat?
What are we to make of the recent run of Steve Jobs merchandise?
Well, we could make a whole stack of plastic crap for a start.
Usually, a short time after a famous person passes away, the estate and a well-chosen licensing agent will combine to explore the spin-off opportunities. And these days, there are many.
Which is putting it mildly. You cannot imagine the sheer amount of shit that's out there.
Here at ME, we have a sister publication called Licensing.biz that knows about this kind of stuff, so I asked its estimable editor @samloveday77 for an idea of what passes for celebrity merchandise these days.
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She sent me on to the Shop Elvis site. And what I found there truly awed me. You've heard of the vast Chinese trade surplus. I think I've found the reason for it: jackets made for dogs with 'taking care of business' written on them.
Among other treats – Elvis steering wheel covers, Elvis Mr Potato Head, Elvis gold lamé nutcracker.
Now, you might think there are few parallels to be drawn between the most successful rock n roll star who ever lived and the CEO of a computer firm.
But, as we all know, rock n roll is dead. Young people have turned their idolatrous attention away from handsome young men with a sneer and a guitar. They now prefer people who know how to make an interface really intuitive.
I'm only half-joking. The public weeping and candle-lit vigils that greeted news of Jobs' death has previously been reserved for Jim Morrison, Hendrix et al.
That was alarming. But came then the Steve Jobs figurine – as scary as it sounds – shortly followed by the Steve Jobs comic book.
Can this be the start of a tasteless licensing bonanza? You'd think not, given Apple's famous protectiveness.
But the guy who made the figurine (don't call it a doll) is not backing down.
Tandy Cheung, who runs In Icons, reckons he can do what he likes as long as he doesn't use Apple logos or products. "I will not stop, we already started production," he said.
"Steve Jobs is not an actor, he's just a celebrity. There is no copyright protection for a normal person."
Wow, Tandy. Brave stuff. Here are a few free ideas from us:
* The Steve Jobs Monopoly board - a good brand fit here. Every time you pass go, you pay Apple 30 per cent
* Steve Jobs Transformers toy - starts as a bearded bespectacled man but the savvy child can turn it into an Android/Eric Schmidt
* The turtle neck sweater for your pet turtle
* The Steve Jobs welcome mat. Warning: once you enter the garden it's very hard to get out again.
* Lingerie range including the 'One More' thong
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