Las Vegas Wedding Services Warned Against Unapproved Use of Elvis' Name
2022-06-08
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1A company that controls the name and image of Elvis Presley has warned wedding service companies in Las Vegas not to hold ceremonies centered around the singer.
2The licensing company, Authentic Brands Group, has sent cease-and-desist letters to several wedding chapels, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
3A cease-and-desist order is a legally enforceable order from a court or government agency that directs a person or organization to stop an activity.
4The letter states that the company will no longer permit unapproved use of Presley's name, likeness, voice image or other materials related to the music star.
5The letter also said that "Elvis," "Elvis Presley," and "The King of Rock and Roll" are legally protected names.
6Las Vegas, Nevada is a popular place for people to get married.
7And many wedding service companies in the city offer Elvis-themed ceremonies.
8Some companies say removing Elvis elements from their offerings will greatly harm their business.
9Kayla Collins operates LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com and the Little Chapel of Hearts with her husband.
10"That's our bread and butter," she told The Associated Press.
11"I don't get it. We were just hitting our stride again through COVID, then this happens."
12To "hit one's stride" means to begin doing something effectively again after a slow start.
13Lynn Goya is a local official who has led marketing campaigns that sought to position Las Vegas as a wedding center.
14She said the order for chapels to stop using Elvis elements could not have come at a worse time.
15The city has suffered from a lack of visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
16The city's wedding industry brings in about $2 billion a year.
17Officials say many wedding ceremonies have Elvis themes.
18"It might destroy a portion of our wedding industry, Goya said.
19"A number of people might lose their livelihood."
20In a recent statement, Authentic Brands Group said it has strong relationships with Elvis performing artists and fan festivals.
21The company added that it does not want to close all chapels offering Elvis-themed ceremonies in Las Vegas.
22"We are seeking to partner with each of these small businesses to ensure that their use of Elvis' name, image and likeness are officially licensed and authorized..." Authentic Brands Group said.
23The company also oversees licensing issues for big names like movie star Marilyn Monroe and boxer Muhammad Ali.
24Presley has longstanding ties to Las Vegas.
25His 1964 movie, Viva Las Vegas, led to a music hit of the same name that became the city's unofficial theme.
26In July of 1969, the star redefined Las Vegas residency shows with live performances at the Las Vegas International Hotel.
27The show was supposed to last only four weeks.
28But it ended up continuing for more than 600 shows.
29It ended in December 1976.
30Presley himself got married in Las Vegas in 1967 to his wife Priscilla.
31Kent Ripley owns a business called Elvis Weddings.
32He said he has never had to deal with this kind of issue during his 25 years performing as Elvis.
33"They want to protect the Elvis brand," Ripley said.
34"But what are they protecting by taking Elvis away from the public?"
35I'm Bryan Lynn.
1A company that controls the name and image of Elvis Presley has warned wedding service companies in Las Vegas not to hold ceremonies centered around the singer. 2The licensing company, Authentic Brands Group, has sent cease-and-desist letters to several wedding chapels, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. A cease-and-desist order is a legally enforceable order from a court or government agency that directs a person or organization to stop an activity. 3The letter states that the company will no longer permit unapproved use of Presley's name, likeness, voice image or other materials related to the music star. The letter also said that "Elvis," "Elvis Presley," and "The King of Rock and Roll" are legally protected names. 4Las Vegas, Nevada is a popular place for people to get married. And many wedding service companies in the city offer Elvis-themed ceremonies. Some companies say removing Elvis elements from their offerings will greatly harm their business. 5Kayla Collins operates LasVegasElvisWeddingChapel.com and the Little Chapel of Hearts with her husband. "That's our bread and butter," she told The Associated Press. "I don't get it. We were just hitting our stride again through COVID, then this happens." To "hit one's stride" means to begin doing something effectively again after a slow start. 6Lynn Goya is a local official who has led marketing campaigns that sought to position Las Vegas as a wedding center. She said the order for chapels to stop using Elvis elements could not have come at a worse time. The city has suffered from a lack of visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic. 7The city's wedding industry brings in about $2 billion a year. Officials say many wedding ceremonies have Elvis themes. "It might destroy a portion of our wedding industry, Goya said. "A number of people might lose their livelihood." 8In a recent statement, Authentic Brands Group said it has strong relationships with Elvis performing artists and fan festivals. The company added that it does not want to close all chapels offering Elvis-themed ceremonies in Las Vegas. 9"We are seeking to partner with each of these small businesses to ensure that their use of Elvis' name, image and likeness are officially licensed and authorized..." Authentic Brands Group said. 10The company also oversees licensing issues for big names like movie star Marilyn Monroe and boxer Muhammad Ali. 11Presley has longstanding ties to Las Vegas. His 1964 movie, Viva Las Vegas, led to a music hit of the same name that became the city's unofficial theme. 12In July of 1969, the star redefined Las Vegas residency shows with live performances at the Las Vegas International Hotel. The show was supposed to last only four weeks. But it ended up continuing for more than 600 shows. It ended in December 1976. 13Presley himself got married in Las Vegas in 1967 to his wife Priscilla. 14Kent Ripley owns a business called Elvis Weddings. He said he has never had to deal with this kind of issue during his 25 years performing as Elvis. "They want to protect the Elvis brand," Ripley said. "But what are they protecting by taking Elvis away from the public?" 15I'm Bryan Lynn. 16The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. 17We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. 18______________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20license - v. to give someone official permission to do or have something 21chapel - n. a small church or room used as a church in a building 22theme - n. the subject of a book, film, event, etc. 23bread and butter - n. a job or activity that provides a person with enough money to live on 24livelihood - n. the way someone earns their money 25authorize - v. to give permission for something to happen 26residency - n. a long period of time when an artist performs in one place instead of touring from place to place 27brand - n. a kind of product made by a particular company and sold under a particular name