<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">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. ADVERTISEMENT 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.</div> Can kanye come out with something of his own?
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"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. </div> That's harsh.
Bah, who care's Kayne act's superior and act's like he's different to other rapper's in order to get critical acclaim.
I admit Kanye has got pretty arrogant over the last few years, but he is still a talented dude....and still makes tight music. Dislike him at the end of the day but College DropOut and Late Registration are damn good albums imo this lawsuit is pretty weak as well.
Why is the lawsuit weak? If someone went out and made a spectacle out of Kanye West's image, I'm sure he'd also file a lawsuit. The lawsuit isn't asking for any compensation, he just wants the distribution of the video stopped. Evil Knieval spent his entire life creating his character and if he doesn't like the way Kanye portrayed his character he has a right to go after him with a lawsuit. Kanye and the producers should have asked for permission first.
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post"> Kanye and the producers should have asked for permission first.</div> Exactly. I was very shocked while reading this that Kanye wouldn't have asked permission. Seems like the obvious thing to do when you're basing the entire music video off of the guy and even alter your name to sound like his.
ever since Kanye stepped on stage and tried to take away the best video at the MTV europe awards my opinion of him has gone down a lot
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Why is the lawsuit weak? If someone went out and made a spectacle out of Kanye West's image, I'm sure he'd also file a lawsuit. The lawsuit isn't asking for any compensation, he just wants the distribution of the video stopped. Evil Knieval spent his entire life creating his character and if he doesn't like the way Kanye portrayed his character he has a right to go after him with a lawsuit. Kanye and the producers should have asked for permission first.</div> Because I don't believe you need another mans permession to express yourself in a video however you want. Supposedly dude has the outfit and stuff copyrighted, but people get copied and mimicked all the time on TV shows like mad tv, making fun of somebodys image, I'm sure they don't get permession do they?
Parody is justified as fair use of someone's trademarked material. I haven't seen the video yet, but it doesn't sound like a parody. If he's just using this, because he likes how it looks, then he would require permission.
<div class="quote_poster">Air Fresh Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Because I don't believe you need another mans permession to express yourself in a video however you want. Supposedly dude has the outfit and stuff copyrighted, but people get copied and mimicked all the time on TV shows like mad tv, making fun of somebodys image, I'm sure they don't get permession do they?</div> Actually yeah they do. YOu can't use someone's "likeness" for commercial gain. That means if you dress up like Michael Jackson to try and sell cars, his representatives can sue you. Kanye West is a good producer and a bad everything else. bad celebrity. bad rapper.
<div class="quote_poster">NTC187 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I thought Evil Knievel was dead </div> That is what I thought too.
<div class="quote_poster">phunDamentalz Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Actually yeah they do. YOu can't use someone's "likeness" for commercial gain. That means if you dress up like Michael Jackson to try and sell cars, his representatives can sue you. Kanye West is a good producer and a bad everything else. bad celebrity. bad rapper.</div> Ye' isn't a bad rapper in my opinion, hes good to me. Also didn't Eminem dress up as Michael Jackson in one of his videos, he didn't get sued, Jackson just asked him to remove that part of the video.
<div class="quote_poster">Air Fresh Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Ye' isn't a bad rapper in my opinion, hes good to me. Also didn't Eminem dress up as Michael Jackson in one of his videos, he didn't get sued, Jackson just asked him to remove that part of the video.</div> Eminem was taking the piss out of Michael Jackson though, he also once dressed as Bin Laden in his video.
