Knievel sues rapper

**Bob** · 14th December 2006, 01:18

Evel Knievel is suing rap ‘artist’ Kanye West. The legendary stunt rider is suing West over a clip in the promotional video for ‘Touch the Sky’, in which the rapper assumes the character of ‘Evel Kanyevel’ and attempts to jump a rocket-powered motorbike over a canyon.

Claiming infringement of his trademarked name and likeness, Knievel said "That video that Kanye West put out is the most worthless piece I've ever seen in my life, and he uses my image to catapult himself on the public."

**Ghost Lemur** · 14th December 2006, 07:35

Fuck this shit is starting to piss me off. Intellect, thoughts, that which has existed before can NOT be property.

Plus (for very good reason) what Kanye did would perfectly fit under fair use. He parodied Knievel. Fuckin geriatric has-beens thinking they can somehow change the rules and control (worse make money) because of something they did a lifetime ago.

Copyright, patents, etc were designed to be a mutually beneficial agreement between a creator and society at large. The agreement meant that the creator was given a reasonable (unlike today) period of time to seek a return on their creation and then it could be absorbed into society as a whole for the betterment of everyone. Things like fair use are fundamental to the success of the system.

Sorry this is one of my personal hobbyhorses.

Talking of which Judith Tizard is trying to import DMCA legislation into NZ, but that's a (long) rant for another day.

**zadok** · 14th December 2006, 08:46

I'm with you on this one G.L.

There have been some very big companies lately, beating up on the small man for trying to make a go of it with similar names etc, even if the product doesn't directly compete with their own. Crazy.

Surely parody must be ok.

Weird Al Yankovich has been doing it for years!

E.K should get a life.........oh, he's just about has had his.

**McJim** · 14th December 2006, 08:52

Hey - if CanWest Global are prepared to let him off with it how come the ol' stuntmeister can't take it?

**ZeroIndex** · 14th December 2006, 08:55

finally.. someone's getting at these stupid try-hard rappers.. GO EVIL KNIEVEL!!!
I understand and agree with what everyone else is saying with regards to intellectual property doesn't count (especially in this situation), but still.. closer to one less rapper on the streets..

**Motu** · 14th December 2006, 09:22

Hey,you are forgetting Kneivel is a biker....we should stand by him.He didn't do all the things he did in his life by being someone who stepped back and let people walk all over him.He's a crusty old bastard and has every right to be one.Kill the fucking rappers I say!

**ZeroIndex** · 14th December 2006, 09:51

Originally Posted by Motu

Hey,you are forgetting Kneivel is a biker....we should stand by him.He didn't do all the things he did in his life by being someone who stepped back and let people walk all over him.He's a crusty old bastard and has every right to be one.Kill the fucking rappers I say!

exactly my point..

**Dooly** · 14th December 2006, 12:13

Originally Posted by Motu

Hey,you are forgetting Kneivel is a biker....we should stand by him.He didn't do all the things he did in his life by being someone who stepped back and let people walk all over him.He's a crusty old bastard and has every right to be one.Kill the fucking rappers I say!

Amen to that mate.

**sunhuntin** · 14th December 2006, 12:25

Originally Posted by Motu

Hey,you are forgetting Kneivel is a biker....we should stand by him.He didn't do all the things he did in his life by being someone who stepped back and let people walk all over him.He's a crusty old bastard and has every right to be one.Kill the fucking rappers I say!

agreed there, motu. the things EK has done, very few would have the balls to.

when i was in canada, my partner took me to show me one his brothers headstones. from what glenn told me, the widow wanted the harley bar and sheild on it...harley refused. guess they cant care much about their buyers if they wont even allow a dead man to bear the logo. she had his bike engraved instead. [which, i think is more fitting] they would have lost no money by allowing it to happen.

**LilSel** · 14th December 2006, 12:34

On the trailer door it says 'Evel Kaynevel'

Bit of a p/t of Knievel...

**Motu** · 14th December 2006, 12:49

But the logo is Kneivels,and so is the whole stars and stripes thing...he may not ''own'' it as that wasn't what happened in those days...but I reckon we can grandfather him it.

I don't really mind the video,but very few who watch it would have any idea what it's about.And some acknowledgment to the man himself wouldn't go amiss.Probably all Evel wants anyway.The rappers who rap over an old song would have to pay copywrite fees....should be the same for branding maybe?

But our black rapper wouldn't have the balls to do what Evel did.None of the modern stunt riders have got near him either - sure they can jump further,but not on a Harley.

**Motu** · 14th December 2006, 22:19

At least he can still ride,I'm not sure what angle of ramp he'll need,but I bet he can still jump a curb.

**xwhatsit** · 14th December 2006, 23:10

Lol! Funny... but kind of sad. I'm glad my version of Evel Knievel, Miles Davis, was still angry and vitriolic until he died from drugs... and could still walk and play.

Yes, I don't like rappers either, but like Ghost Lemur this kind of shit really pisses me off. I second pretty much everything he wrote in his post, there's no need to repeat it -- and if DMCA is brought to NZ I'm getting the fuck out of here, and moving to a nice place like Sweden where they care about citizens and not RIAA and big business.