LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas chapels of affection that use Elvis Presley’s likeness might discover themselves changing into Heartbreak Hotels.
The licensing firm that controls the title and picture of “The King” is ordering Sin City chapel operators to cease utilizing Elvis in themed ceremonies, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.
Authentic Brands Group despatched cease-and-desist letters in early May to a number of chapels, that are anticipated to be compliant by now.
With Elvis so intently tied to Vegas’ wedding ceremony trade, some say the transfer might decimate their companies.
“We are a family-run business, and now we’re hanging with the big dogs,” stated Kayla Collins, who operates LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com and the Little Chapel of Hearts together with her husband.
“That’s our bread and butter. I don’t get it. We were just hitting our stride again through COVID, then this happens.”
Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya, who led a advertising marketing campaign selling Las Vegas as a marriage vacation spot, stated the order for chapels to cease utilizing Elvis couldn’t have come at a worse time for the sector.
“It might destroy a portion of our wedding industry. A number of people might lose their livelihood,” Goya stated.
Authentic Brands Group didn’t instantly reply Tuesday to an emailed request for remark.
The licensing firm oversees the estates of massive names like film star Marilyn Monroe, boxer Muhammad Ali and extra 50 shopper manufacturers.
In the cease-and-desist letter, the corporate stated it’s going to halt unauthorized use of “Presley’s name, likeness, voice image, and other elements of Elvis Presley’s persona in advertisements, merchandise and otherwise.” The letter additionally stated “Elvis,” “Elvis Presley,” “and “The King of Rock and Roll” are protected emblems.
The order mustn’t translate into authorized motion in opposition to Elvis-themed stage exhibits in Las Vegas similar to “All Shook Up” as a result of impersonating somebody for dwell performances similar to exhibits is taken into account an exception below Nevada’s proper of publicity regulation, based on Mark Tratos, an area lawyer who helped write the statute.
“An Elvis show is a performer essentially entertaining others by re-creating that person onstage,” Tratos stated.
“They want to protect the Elvis brand. But what are they protecting by taking Elvis away from the public?” requested Kent Ripley, whose enterprise is named Elvis Weddings.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”