Axl Rose Singing to Google...Take Me Down Etc.

These are the images that Axl Rose is demanding Google to take down. They are from a live show he and his band played long ago...way back in January 2010. The article that covered the show reviewed both he and the band well. Stating that all was in fine form and that the show was a spectacle to behold. Nothing negative whatsoever was mentioned. This show was the first of that tour and everything seemed to go well.

Since that time the photos has been misappropriated and used in many derogatory memes, and this is why Axl Rose has sent Google a “Digital Millennium Copyright Act Notice” claiming ownership of these images, and has asked Google to remove them from the internet completely!

These now famous “Fat Axl” photos were taken by Boris Minkevich from the Winnipeg Free Press. They are from a January 2010 Guns N’ Roses Show at the MTS Center in Winnipeg, Canada.

According to Rose, all professional photographers at Axl Rose performances must sign a release, which cedes copyright of their photographs to Rose. Not sure if this is true or if this happened in this case. Regardless of the ownership of these photos, there is legal leeway when you take into account the photos are of a public figure and the good ol' trusty fair use doctrine.

I've seen worse memes of President's, other Public Officials, Celebrities and even the Queen. Like it or not I don't think these photos are going away anytime soon.

*Note – The best way to make something like this disappear is to do something more outrageous, or to ignore it altogether. The worst thing to do would be to have a public tantrum over it and draw even more attention to what most were never even aware of.

This post is for reference information.

The photos are from this original article By: Rob Williams
Posted: 01/14/2010 6:44 AM on the Winnipeg Free Press

Guns N' Roses show a massive rock 'n' roll spectacle