One of the smaller pillars of Las Vegas's economy is under threat in a dispute over rights to the name and image of Elvis Presley.
If you were planning to turn up in one of the many Las Vegas wedding chapels offering 'Elvis Weddings,' you may need to put your plan on hold, because numbers of the chapels including LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com have been sent cease-and-desist letters, ordering them to stop using the name and image.
The letters come from Authentic Brands Group, a brand management company that owns or manages the rights and likenesses of a number of past celebrities, including not only Elvis but Muhammad Ali and Marilyn Monroe. The company licenses use of the images on various kinds of merchandise and events. All told the company owns over fifty brands, including Brooks Brothers and Van Heusen.
While wedding chapels will now have to figure out how to survive—one has already dropped the theme and rebranded itself as offering 'Rock 'n Roll' weddings—live shows by Elvis impersonators are not affected, because they are exempt under Nevada's 'right of publicity' law.
Image: Graceland Wedding Chapel, Las Vegas
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