The estate of the late Elvis Presley filed a lawsuit against the Italian company that manufactures Beretta guns for for its unlawful use of the King's image in an advertising campaign. The Hollywood Reporter said Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta SpA has been slapped with false advertising and publicity rights charges by the Presley estate.
The ad in question was the one showcasing the gun manufacturer's latest Beretta shotgun model, model 692, which was recently introduced at popular trade shows, including the 2014 SHOT held in Las Vegas. The Presley estate claimed that Beretta introduced the shotgun, which is used in sporting clays shooting, with the intention to suggest that the status of the gun was would be equivalent to the legendary status of the King as an entertainer.
"As part of the Elvis Themed Advertising Campaign, Beretta advertised that Elvis was coming to these events. At every venue, Beretta had Elvis impersonators to appear and/or perform and greet the gun enthusiasts attending such events. In some cases, they had the Elvis impersonators pose with the weapons," the complainant said in the lawsuit.
The Presley estate also cried foul over the use of the late entertainer's image as a feature of all of the posters advertising the Beretta shotgun model. The posters, as claimed by the Presley estate, had an image of a performer looking like Elvis and sports a jumpsuit allegedly associated with the King while facing an audience. The purported Elvis image also showed him wearing a shooting vest and ear protectors to associate the King to Beretta's products.
THR said that the estate of Presley is seeking an injunction and additional monetary damages for the alleged unlawful use of the late King's image. It is not known whether Beretta or a legal representation of the gun manufacturer has been served with the lawsuit or has been notified of it and made any response regarding the complaint.
