Would Grace Land upset Elvis?

Calgary’s Elvis-impersonating preacher is locked in battle with the late singer’s business arm over a trademark dispute.

Memphis-based Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) is moving to strip Rev. Bruce Sheasby’s trademarking of the phrase Your Grace Land, the name of his Calgary nondenominational church and radio service.

The firm, which was representing Presley’s intellectual property at a Calgary hearing of the federal Trademarks Opposition Board (TOB) Monday, contends Sheasby’s use of the term too closely identifies it with Elvis.

It is an infringement, they argue, on the name of Presley’s former Memphis home, now a tourist mecca and shrine to the rock ’n’ roll trailblazer’s memory.

But preacher Sheasby — who’s adopted the name Reverend Elvis — said his five-year use of the three words, trademarked in 2015, has God on its side and predicts he’ll win out.

“I’m saying to them ‘don’t be cruel,’” said Sheasby, 56, who’s also titling an upcoming spiritual self-improvement book with the same words.

“I’m hoping they come to Calgary, see this is a genuine guy, not a kook, and that he’s really trying to draw people to God’s grace.”

Sheasby argues his breaking up Graceland into two words with the addition of ‘Your’ sets it apart from the Memphis landmark.

And he said numerous churches across the U.S. and other countries employ Graceland on their marquees without any consequences.

“I’m one or two steps further from all these churches using Graceland in their names,” he said.

Sheasby makes no apologies for the dispute’s potential to hike his profile.

“I’ve got no problem with that because I’m trying to draw people to God’s grace,” he said.

An affidavit produced by Gary Hahn, marketing vice-president for the group linked to EPE, states it holds a licence to the Graceland trademark and insists on ensuring standards on its use are met.

“Such control includes, for example, quality standards that EPE must maintain when offering the goods and services under the GRACELAND trademark … the controls are exercised on a regular basis … ,” he states.

He says the Graceland attraction and brand have been built painstakingly over more than three decades, following Presley’s death in 1977.

Sheasby counters there’s only one divine owner of the trademark for the word or words. “It’s God and when I said that to them over the phone, there was dead silence,” he said.

But if he loses the battle, Sheasby said his use of the words Grace Land could be in jeopardy.

Before Sheasby and church musical director Dwain Sands were interviewed by Trademarks Opposition Board officials Monday — which happened to be Presley’s birthday — about a dozen congregants prayed and sang Amazing Grace.