Tokmanni violated the Sibelius trademark with the Jeans Ibelius jeans advertisement

On the left is Jean Sibelius’ graduation photo from 1885, on the right is Tokmanni’s advertisement. Picture: Natalia Linsén / Museum Agency, Tokmanni

Retail store Tokmanni advertised jeans in its week 13 offer magazine with an advertising slogan Jeans Ibelius by Tokmanni – “This price is music to my ears”. However, the store does not sell actual Ibelius brand jeans, it is mainly an advertising slogan. In connection with it, you can see a picture of a sitting man with a mustache wearing jeans.

This is an obvious reference to the composer to Jean Sibelius (1865–1957) and a couple of pictures of his youth.

“We take this very seriously. It is an infringement of our trademark that they have used it to sell their own products,” says Sibelius College that is, the chairman of the institution established by the composer’s estate Laura Labart.

The estate has registered Jean Sibelius and his wife Aino Sibelius names as trademarks, which enables it to control the use of the names.

by Jean Sibelius the name’s licensing agreements are currently overseen by the international Rights and Brands company, which also manages, for example, the Moomins, the Smurfs, Astrid Lindgren and The Beatles brands and trademarks. In the case of the Moomins and Lindgren, the company oversees global rights, in the case of the Smurfs and The Beatles, it is Nordic license agreements.

Brand manager responsible for Sibelius’ brand work Jarkko Toivanen says that Tokmann’s Jeans Ibelius ad came as a surprise to them and the Sibelius family.

“There has been no permission for this. We do not want, and neither does the estate, that Sibelius’ name is used in this way, especially without asking about it in advance,” says Toivanen.

He cannot comment on an individual and unfinished case in more detail than this.

“The matter is being investigated and we are trying to negotiate about it. Of course, we always try to cooperate, but we also hope that in these cases we will be in touch in advance and ask about the matter.”

Sibelius copyright and name protection will expire in 2027, when it will be 70 years since his death. However, Sibelius’ estate has already started preparing for this well in advance, as already more than twenty years ago it registers Jean Sibelius’ trademark.

Through the Jean Sibelius Marketing company, the estate began to manage commercial products sold under Sibelius’ name at that time. They focused on high quality, and at that time you could see Sibelius champagne and sparkling wine, cigars and scarves on the market.

Sibelius the management of the brand’s commercial rights has been transferred to the Rights and Brands company about a year ago, which is now working on a new product series.

“Our aim is to respectfully bring the Sibelius brand into modern times. We strive to ensure that all products, goods and services that are made from the Sibelius brand are of high quality. We do not aim so much for the highest luxury, although that is fine. Our purpose is to protect [suomalaisten] meaningful character and brand and bring good licensed products also available to everyone, but the focus is on high-quality products”, says Jarkko Toivanen.

Tokmanni commercial manager Brother Pekka Ääri says that the same advertisement was already published in the spring of 2025 in connection with the jeans campaign.

“At that time, a year ago, in terms of inheritance rights, it was concluded that the picture is sufficiently different. Of course, the kinship is there, and of course its effectiveness is built on that,” says Veli-Pekka Ääri.

When the ad was republished this year, the licensing partner Rights and Brands protested the matter to Tokmann.

“Now we have been approached more formally, so the likely end result is that we stop using that creative idea and image,” says Veli-Pekka Ääri.

However, Jarkko Toivanen says that Rights and Brands handled Sibelius’ licensing rights also in the spring of 2025, when the ad was first published. Rights and Brands already contacted Tokmanni at that time after noticing the Jeans Ibelius advertisement.

“At that time we also asked that in the future it would be good to discuss these issues in advance before the trademark is used.”

Correction 1.4. 8:45 a.m.: Contrary to what was written earlier in the article, Rights and Brands manages the licensing rights of the Jean Sibelius trademark as early as spring 2025 and contacted Tokmanni already at that time after noticing the ad.