It sounds like a lot of Elvis impersonators are soon going to be out of a job!
Authentic Brands Group, the company in charge of licensing all that Elvis Presley-themed merchandise and his image, sent cease-and-desist letters to several wedding chapels in Las Vegas ordering them to stop using "Presley’s name, likeness, voice image, and other elements of Elvis Presley’s persona in advertisements, merchandise and otherwise" without a license. According to the letter, the names "Elvis," "Elvis Presley" "and “The King of Rock and Roll” are all trademarked.
Kayla Collins, who, along with her husband, runs the Little Chapel of Hearts and LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com is very worried about their business. She said, "That’s our bread and butter. I don’t get it. We were just hitting our stride again through COVID, then this happens."
Rod Musum the manager of the Graceland Wedding Chapel says they haven’t received a letter yet, which is surprising since they conduct around 6,400 Elvis-themed weddings every year. Fox News reports that the wedding industry in Vegas brings in around $2 billion a year, and many couples travel to Sin City specifically for Elvis-themed nuptials.
Sounds like if these wedding chapels want to stay in business they're going to have to fork over some cash. The law is a bit different for the Elvis performers. Nevada’s right of publicity law allows for performers to impersonate singers, including Elvis, live on stage, so no legal action against Elvis-themed stage shows in Las Vegas is expected.
Source: Fox News
Photo: Getty Images