The estate of late bicultural music icon Selena is suing Catalina Classic Cruises, alleging the company illegally used the singer’s trademark and likeness to promote its “Cumbia Cruise” events.
The lawsuit filed on July 10 by Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., alleges the company hosted two events that used the late singer’s likeness in flyers and promotional materials and has no right to set sail as a tribute cruise to Selena’s legacy.
The lawsuit claims that the cruise company deceived people into thinking that Selena’s estate approved the usage, which is not true. The company allegedly called last year’s trip “Cumbia Cruise Homenaje a Selena y La Sonora Dinamita por Maritza y Su Sonora.” This year’s trip has been dubbed as a “Tributo a Selena.” Quintanilla seeks to block the use of Selena’s name and trademarks and wants the company to pay any profits made from the tribute cruises.
Quintanilla controls the rights to Selena’s trademarks, name, voice, signature, and likeness in connection to merchandise and advertisements. The lawsuit argues that Catalina Classic Cruises did not get permission to use Selena’s trademarks and likeness. The estate of Selena has been known to be very protective of her legacy and has taken legal action in the past against those who used her name and likeness without permission.
The Selena Cruise Lawsuit highlights the importance of obtaining permission before using a celebrity’s name or likeness in promotions or advertisements.
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