Now or By no means: Elvis-themed weddings not permitted in Las Vegas, licensing firm tells chapel house owners – Nationwide

{Couples} dreaming of an iconic Las Vegas marriage ceremony could really feel all shook up if Elvis isn’t allowed within the constructing.

The licensing firm that controls the identify and picture of Elvis Presley has ordered Las Vegas chapel house owners and operators to stop utilizing the star’s likeness in themed ceremonies, the Las Vegas Assessment-Journal initially reported.

Genuine Manufacturers Group (ABG), the corporate that licenses all Elvis-related merchandise, despatched a stop and desist letter on Might 19 to quite a few chapels within the state. The group additionally oversees a number of different main estates, together with that of Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali.

Within the letter from ABG, the corporate writes that they intend to cease the unauthorized use of “Elvis Presley’s identify, likeness, voice picture, and different parts of Elvis Presley’s persona in commercials, merchandise, and in any other case.”

The letter specifies that this is applicable to all makes use of of “Elvis,” “Elvis Presley” and “The King of Rock and Roll,” that are protected logos.

The stop and desist additionally asserted that any “infringing chapel” unable to adjust to the phrases by Might 27 ought to search out authorized counsel.

ABG has but to make a public assertion in regards to the demand to take away Elvis from Vegas marriage ceremony chapels.

In Las Vegas, the marriage trade brings in a whopping USD$2 billion yearly.

Nonetheless, the demand from ABG got here as a shock to a number of Las Vegas chapel house owners, lots of whom informed the Las Vegas Assessment-Journal that a big portion of their enterprise comes from Elvis-themed weddings. The insistence to take away The King from marriage ceremony venues is particularly devastating after house owners have been pressured to close their doorways for a lot of the final two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The stop and desist letter doesn’t cease an individual dressed as Elvis from performing in dwell stage reveals and ceremonies (together with marriage ceremony receptions), as this type of impersonation is protected by a “proper of publicity” legislation within the state. The distinguishing issue, nonetheless, is when Elvis’ picture or likeness is used merely to draw clients to a enterprise with out that dwell efficiency aspect.

For that reason, stage reveals just like the All Shook Up Elvis tribute stays protected from ABG’s calls for.

Whether or not legally binding or not, in current many years {couples} have flocked to Vegas from across the globe to be married by an Elvis impersonator — a closely ironic, romantic notion. Simply final month one of many largest movie star {couples}, Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, additionally acquired in on the enjoyable, saying “I do” in entrance of an Elvis impersonator.

Information of the ABG’s stop and desist letter comes simply earlier than Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic Elvis is ready to launch in theatres on June 24. The movie will undoubtedly reignite curiosity in Elvis and his profession, music and life.