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The company that controls the name and image of Elvis Presley is ordering Las Vegas chapel operators to stop using his likeness in themed ceremonies, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- The company that controls the name and image of Elvis has sent cease-and-desist letters to Las Vegas wedding chapel operators
- Some operators say the move could decimate their businesses
- Authentic Brands Group released a statement saying they were seeking to partner with small businesses to ensure they are officially licensed
Authentic Brands Group sent cease-and-desist letters in early May to multiple chapels, which are expected to be compliant by now.
With Elvis so closely tied to Vegas's wedding industry, some say the move could decimate their businesses.
"We are a family-run business, and now we're hanging with the big dogs," said Kayla Collins, who operates LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com and the Little Chapel of Hearts with her husband.
Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya, who led a marketing campaign promoting Las Vegas as a wedding destination, said the order for chapels to stop using Elvis could not have come at a worse time for the sector.
The city's wedding industry generates US$2 billion ($2.75 billion) a year, and officials say Elvis-themed weddings represent a significant number of the ceremonies performed.
"It might destroy a portion of our wedding industry. A number of people might lose their livelihood," Ms Goya said.
One chapel last weekend had its Elvis impersonator change instead into a leather jacket, jeans and a fedora for a rock 'n' roll themed ceremony, the Review-Journal reported.
Graceland Wedding Chapel, which performs 6,400 Elvis-themed weddings per year, has not been served a warning yet, according to manager Rod Musum.
In the cease-and-desist letter, the licensing company said it would halt unauthorised use of "Presley's name, likeness, voice, image, and other elements of Elvis Presley's persona in advertisements, merchandise and otherwise".
The letter also said "Elvis", "Elvis Presley", "and "The King of Rock and Roll" were protected trademarks.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Authentic Brands Group said it has strong relationships with Elvis tribute artists and fan festivals.
There is "no intention to shut down chapels that offer Elvis packages in Las Vegas".
"Elvis is embedded into the fabric of Las Vegas history."
The licensing company also oversees the estates of big names like movie star Marilyn Monroe and boxer Muhammad Ali and 50 consumer brands.
ABC/AP