Axl Rose leans on copyright law to pressure Google into removing 'Fat Axl' memes
Guns N’ Roses (and now AC/DC) frontman Axl Rose has filed a copyright takedown request against Google, demanding it removes memes making reference to the singer's weight gain from several years ago.
Rose has taken exception to the use of a 2010 image taken while he was on tour, which sparked a lesser-known meme dubbed 'Fat Axel Rose' that has been shared online.
The artist is claiming ownership of the image, saying that its use as a meme breaches copyright. It is part of a series of pictures taken by Rose-employed photographer Boris Minkevich, and Rose is keen to see them removed from the internet, according to Torrent Freak.
Questions arose whether the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedowns will circumvent the meme – or encourage its use as a backlash.
Google is yet to comment on the incident.