Hebrew U.’s sugar daddy

February 26, 2010 - 10:20 AM by

So I’m watching some Baby Einstein videos on YouTube with my boys the other day, and I notice at the end of the credits that it says Albert Einstein and Baby Einstein are trademarks of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This came as something of a surprise to me. Baby Einstein is actually related in some way to Albert Einstein the genius? And both are trademarks of Hebrew U.? How is this possible?

Baby Einstein, for the uninitiated, is a line of multimedia products and toys that explore music, art and poetry for children aged three months to three years of age. I know, it sounds pretentious, but I have to say that some of the products are great and really grow with the kids. Anyway, it was created by a set of young parents in Atlanta, Georgia who then sold most of the company to The Walt Disney Company. They pay significant royalties to the estate of Albert Einstein.

And where does Hebrew University, Israel’s largest academic institution, come in? Einstein, who was on the university’s first board of governors, bequeathed his estate to the university. They receive royalties from licensing activities associated with his name, and, here’s an interesting twist: Corbis Corporation, which is owned by none other than Bill Gates, licenses the commercial use of Einstein’s name.

It’s a small world. And just think, every time you purchase a Baby Einstein product (but not if you watch the videos on YouTube), you’re helping out Hebrew U. I may not donate to my alma mater, but hey, I’m helping, sort of.

Tags: , , , , , • Category: Business, General, History and Culture, Israeliness, Life, Pop Culture, Technology 

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2 Comments on Hebrew U.’s sugar daddy

  1. Einstein and his Calvins | ISRAELITY on Sun, May 30th 2010 11:41 AM

    2. [...] how Hebrew U. owns the rights to Albert Einstein? Well, GM, as in General Motors, is now in trouble with the Jerusalem university. The auto company [...]

  2. If you’re happy and you know it… | ISRAELITY on Sat, Oct 9th 2010 8:05 PM

    3. [...] been noted, leading parents to play Mozart while their children are in utero, or to become fans of Baby Einstein. But she also found that adults respond well to hand-clapping; university students who took part in [...]

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