What is it with the Roc-A-Fella family and sports figures lately?

Retired wrestler Diamond Dallas Page recently added Rocawear's owners to a lawsuit filed late last year against Jay-Z over similarities between his famous diamond-cutter hand gesture and the Roc's diamond sign (see [article id="1517546"]"Diamond Dallas Sues Jay-Z Over 'Diamond Cutter' Hand Sign"[/article])-- and now another Roc artist has been served with papers.

Robert Craig Knievel, known to the world as stuntman Evel Knievel, formally filed a lawsuit on Friday in Tampa, Florida, against Kanye West for trademark infringement. Knievel is upset over West paying homage to him in the video for "Touch the Sky." The Chris Milk-directed, Pamela Anderson-starring mini-movie -- one of the most acclaimed clips of 2005 -- finds Kanye playing a daredevil named "Kanyievel" making a grand stunt jump over the Grand Canyon in a mini-rocket, evoking Knievel's unsuccessful 1974 jump over the Snake River Canyon in Idaho.

Knievel's attorney, Richard Fee, told MTV News early Tuesday afternoon that his client does not consider the video an homage, but "more as a rip-off," he said. "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. Knieval is not too happy with it. He wants to be compensated for uses of his likeness and trademark." The lawsuit also seeks to prohibit further airings of the video.

Regarding the lag between the clip's first airing in August and the lawsuit, Fee said that West's well-publicized tirade over the clip losing the Best Video prize at the MTV Europe Music Awards MTV Europe incident sparked interest. West caused a controversy last month by jumping onstage unannounced and complaining at length when the clip lost to Justice vs. Simian's "We Are Your Friends" (see [article id="1544794"]Kanye Admits To Having Had A 'Sippy Sippy' (Or Two) Before EMA Rant"[/article]).

"Mr. West brought this back in the public with his tirade at the MTV Europe Awards," Fee said.

According to the St. Petersburg Times, the suit says the video tarnished Knievel's image with its "vulgar, sexual and racially charged content."

"The guy just disgraced me," Knievel, 68, told the paper in an article published Tuesday. "I have done the best I can to set an example for children, and then this guy comes along and tries to rip it apart."

Milk, Roc-A-Fella Records and AOL are also named in the suit.

West's rep at Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam had no comment on the lawsuit.