Madame Tussauds Sued Over Evel Knievel Copyrights and Right Of Publicity

Los Angeles, CA – The late Evel Knievel was a motorcycle daredevil whose crashes made him more famous than his successful jumps. Lawsuits continue regarding ownership of the copyrights in his pictures and film clips. In 2005, Gary Schreiber sued Knievel in Nevada District Court for a declaration of validity of a 1982 written transfer of copyrights to pictures and films made by Knievel (story about the suit is here). While the Nevada lawsuit is still pending, Schreiber has now filed a copyright infringement and right of publicity lawsuit against Madame Tussauds, the leisure/tourist attraction featuring wax sculptures and figurines of celebrities.

Plaintiff Schrieber alleges that Evel was in need of capital to resurrect his career and Schrieber purchased the rights to Evel’s films and the films themselves via written agreement in 1982. Plaintiff then produced two compilation films entitled “Evel Knievel’s Specacular Jumps” and “The Last of the Gladiators.” Schreiber alleges that at some time, Knievel once again sold or licensed the same rights – previously granted to Schreiber – to Madame Tussauds without Schrieber’s knowledge. The case is Raymond Gary Schreiber v. Tussauds Attractions Ltd., et al., CV11–2115 DSF (C.D. Cal. 2011).