Evel Knievel sues Kanye West over video

flatblackplastic

TAMPA, Fla. - Evel Knievel has sued Kanye West, taking issue with a music video in which the rapper takes on the persona of "Evel Kanyevel" and tries to jump a rocket-powered motorcycle over a canyon.Knievel, whose real name is Robert Craig Knievel, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Tampa on Monday claiming infringement on his trademark name and likeness. He also claims the "vulgar and offensive" images depicted in the video damage his reputation."That video that Kanye West put out is the most worthless piece of crap I've ever seen in my life, and he uses my image to catapult himself on the public," the 68-year-old daredevil said Tuesday.A spokesman for West said the 28-year-old rapper no comment. The lawsuit seeks damages and to halt distribution of the video.In the video for "Touch the Sky," released earlier this year, West dons the familiar Knievel star-studded jumpsuit and jumps a canyon in a vehicle "visually indistinguishable" from the one used by Knievel in his failed attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho in 1974, the lawsuit said.The video, which features Pamela Anderson as West's girlfriend, contains "vulgar and offensive sexual images, language and conduct involving `Evel Kanyevel' and women apparently trying to gain his sexual interest," according to the lawsuit."The guy just went too far using me to promote his filth to the world," said Knievel, who lives in Clearwater and has been in poor health in recent years. "I'm not in any way that kind of a person."The lawsuit also names Roc-A-Fella Records, video director Chris Milk and AOL for distributing it.West was so disappointed at not winning best video for "Touch the Sky" at the MTV Europe Music Awards last month that he crashed the stage when it was presented to Justice and Simian for "We Are Your Friends."In a tirade riddled with expletives, West said he should have won the prize because it "cost a million dollars, Pamela Anderson was in it. I was jumping across canyons."Knievel failed spectacularly in the 1974 jump. He was secured inside the cockpit and the Sky-Cycle was fired up. But his parachute opened just as he cleared the ramp. After soaring about 1,000 feet, he wound up landing about 20 feet from the river on the rocky south bank. He sustained only scrapes and bruises.In the video, West's vehicle crashes to the bottom of the canyon in flames.http://www.yahoo.com/s/458261

mannybolone

I think this definitely qualifies for a "you mad, doggie?"

Swayze

Simian

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never heard of him/her/them/it....





I wonder if Kanye has a case for 'fair use'?

street_muzik

So what in the video did Evil Kenevil find offensive? A black man kissing a white woman?

G_Balliando

So what in the video did Evil Kenevil find offensive? A black man kissing a white woman?

Guzzo

So what in the video did Evil Kenevil find offensive? A black man kissing a white woman?

I was thinking the same thing

I couldn't find the versino of the video with the mid song Nia Long part but maybe he interpreted that as offensive?

pjl2000xl

speakmumbles

he lives in clearwater and so do i...sounds like i gotta do some door knockin to find out whats up.

hammertime

an old white guy that hates rap? get outta here!

luck

The Mayfield estate should have sued for the ridiculously unnecessary sample.

Jumping Snake River Canyon? Hah. Try jumping the South Side of Chicago. Scrapes and bruises, my ass.

kitchenknight

six months late, half dozen dollars short on this?

DocMcCoy

I think the issue here is image/likeness rights and that kinda thing. There were Evel Knievel action figures back in the 1970s, so he's probably got that shit on lock (or someone has), and his lawyers have just held off on an immediate cease-and-desist and banked on a bigger payday further down the line. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that there's a biopic in development about Evel's Snake River Canyon jump, with Matthew McConaughey earmarked for the lead, so Evel's attitude might well be, well, if all these rights have to be cleared for a feature film, then why not for a music video too?

A sweet little irony is that, Kanye being signed to a Universal Music Group label and all, it makes UMG's CEO Doug Morris look like a dick, especially after the way he was recently going on about YouTube and similar outfits being all but thieves by "infringing" UMG's copyright work and making it freely available to view on their sites, thus denying poor, broke-ass UMG the "tens of millions of dollars" they're entitled to. That's a kinda selective view of intellectual property law you have there, Dougie.

nzshadow

That video that Kanye West put out is the most worthless piece of crap I've ever seen in my life

evel knievel is cool as shit.

Kanye, whilst a great producer is actually an annoying muppet.

evel could still kick his spoilt little ass.

eric

"The guy just went too far using me to promote his filth to the world," said Knievel