June 1, 2007 11:38

'Fake band' law hits Las Vegas

Bands must be called 'tribute' acts

A new law preventing musicians to falsely claim they are connected to well-known groups has hit Nevada in Las Vegas.

It is now legally required for groups to call themselves "tribute" acts, unless they have at least one member historically linked to the original group.

Mary Wilson, former member of The Supremes, has lobbied for the law, after suing five other acts performing under the moniker of her former band, reports BBC News.

Sonny Turner from The Platters said: “Nevada is the entertainment capital of the world, so this was one of our major goals.”

Maxine Porter manager of Drifters member Bill Pinkey said: “In a town like (Las Vegas), where you have a constant flow of tourist, this is a place where people expect to have authenticity.

“You don’t need to see The Drifters advertised on three different marquees.”

Porter added that she hoped to see the bill become law in a least 20 states in the US by the end of the year.

If band make false claims, it will be considered as deceptive trading practice under the new legislation.

Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Illinois are among the other states with similar legislation.