Kanye West Don't Care About White Daredevils.
MayorBob.
Posted to Legal on Sun Dec 31, 2006 at 09:33:21 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.
Rap music and the world of daredevil stunts are not normally connected with one another. But these aren't normal times as a rap star of the stature and fame of Kanye West decided to include imagery of himself performing high flying derring do on a recent rap video. Ruh roh, the scenes from that video looked awfully familiar to iconic stunt artist Robert "Evel" Knievel. As a result, the aging stunt artist has taken the rapper to court for "infringing his trademark."
The video causing all this stir is "Touch The Sky" (more on the story and link to video located on this page). In the complaint (pdf doc) West is charged with using Knievel's distinctive wardrobe as he filmed himself attempting a rocket ride over a canyon similar to Knievel's famous 1974 attempt to rocket across the Snake River Canyon. While portions of the video are dissimilar from the 1974 attempt -- Pamela Anderson wasn't there and Knievel didn't get limoed out to the launch site in a stretch Lincoln - the rest of it folded in the Knievel trademark up to Kanye playing a daredevil named "Kanyievel" in the film.
Hey, it was an homage to Knievel, was the line from West and Roc-A-Fella records. It was no homage at all according to Knievel's attorney, Richard Fee, "more a rip off" was the way he described it. Fee then gave a preview of how the case will likely be argued in court:"Mr Knievel has a trademark on Evel Knievel and an extraordinarily well-recognized white jumpsuit. Kanye West and Roc-A-Fella records are undoubtedly familiar with intellectual property rights. Mr. Knievel is not too happy with it. He wants to be compensated for the uses of his likeness and trademark."
The complaint also seeks to prohibit future airings of the video. Knievel, who suffered more than forty broken bones over his career, is in failing health diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He said the thing that caused him to launch his lawsuit was the rough language and the sexual imagery which he believed hurt his image as a role model for kids, "in my opinion, this video maybe reflects West and his way of life, but it's sure not mine." This is not the first time the video and West have been the source of controversy. When it didn't win an award at the European MTV awards, an angry West threw an on-camera hissy fit.
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