Axl Rose sues Activision

By Fred Dutton Published 23 November, 2010

He's furious that Slash was in GHIII.

Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose is suing Activision for $20 million, claiming the publisher breached an agreement not to use the likeness of former guitarist Slash in Guitar Hero III.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rose's claim states, "[Activision] began spinning a web of lies and deception to conceal its true intentions to not only feature Slash and VR [Velvet Revolver] prominently in GH III, but also promote the game by emphasising and reinforcing an association between Slash and Guns N Roses and the band's song Welcome to the Jungle."

Apparently Rose rescinded permission for Activision to use Welcome to the Jungle in the game when he heard that Slash was to feature. The publisher then allegedly lied to the singer, insisting Slash's likeness was there just for the purposes of a trade show.

Rose is also unhappy that Activision used Sweet Child O' Mine in advertising for Guitar Hero III, claiming the song was only licensed for Guitar Hero II.

"This lawsuit is about protecting Guns N' Roses and Welcome to the Jungle, and is about holding Activision accountable for its misuse of these incredibly valuable assets," explained Rose's lawyer Skip Miller. "The relief we are seeking is disgorgement of profits and compensatory and punitive damages."

This isn't the first time Activision has run into trouble regarding the use of rock star's likenesses in the Guitar Hero series. Back in 2009, Courtney Love threatened to "sue the s***" out of the publisher for how it portrayed her late husband Kurt Cobain in Guitar Hero 5.

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (40) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • INSOMANiAC #1 2 years ago

    Didn't he do that ages ago? the prick. Slash IS Guns n' Roses........... ok......... Axl is as well, but he's still a prick

  • Scurrminator #2 2 years ago

    Isn't he three years too late!?

  • gjgjg #3 2 years ago

    Chinese democracy not selling then?
    (enough to feed the luxury habbits anyway)

  • willvale #4 2 years ago

    Kate Cobain?

  • KungFuSpoon #5 2 years ago

    Surely it's a little late to be filing a lawsuit?

    Axl Rose is an idiot though, he seems to fail to understand his own contracts (as proven at his reading/leeds performances this year) so chances are he didn't read the licensing contract anyway and he doesn't have a leg to stand on.

  • dingo75 #6 2 years ago

    I hope he sues the shit out of Bobby so Activision goes the way of the dodo.

  • laharl80 #7 2 years ago

    Go Axl!
    You may have ruined a great band but anyone that sticks it to Activision deserves the respect and gratitude of gamers everywhere.
    At least when EA were evil, they didn't charge £50 for barely playable shite and then release patches that made things even worse.

  • gaanbo #8 2 years ago

    A cunt suing the cunts.

  • coolbritannia #9 2 years ago

    Fuck you Axl, Slash IS Guns n Roses, fucking tosser. As if he could be a bigger prick, he does this.

  • VibratingDonkey #10 2 years ago

    Hope both parties lose somehow.

  • Luckyjim #11 2 years ago

    I'm confused about who to hate on this one?!

  • TrevSkyline #12 2 years ago

    Lol!

    This is rich! Axl suing for using Slash being "associated" with GnR! Slash WAS GnR!!!

    Look at where GnR are without him? Washed out has beens, that's where.

  • borkedconsole #13 2 years ago

    Axl who?

  • gremly #14 2 years ago

    A loaded gun!
    Jamed by a rose!

    \o/

    Epic lyrics XD

    Slash - Crucify The Dead

  • FortysixterUK #15 2 years ago

    Lol...AXL is a total prick who doesn't deserve anything but to have all his money taken away and get a good kicking, but then the guy that runs Activision apparently is a total.........well you get the picture.

    Slash and the rest of GnR were the talent, they all carried Axl, which probably goes some way to explaining why Chinese Democracy was in the Sainsbury's bargain bins in Farnham less that 3 months after the CDs release.

  • Acrid #16 2 years ago

    Massive Cock vs Massive Cocks there's only one way to solve this...... FIGHT!!!

    Seriously, I hope they both lose. Cunts.

  • Noble6 #17 2 years ago

    Eff U Axl Rose, loved u once.

  • metamorphic #18 2 years ago

    Go, Axle, go! Shut Activision down for the Order!

  • Markitron #19 2 years ago

    Anybody who thinks Slash IS GnR is a fuckin moron. Im not sayin he aint a legend (he is) or that GnR dont need him (they do). The main songwriting of GnR was always Axl and Izzy. I know its trendy to hate Axl but lets all agree Bobbt Kotick is a WAY bigger dick

  • SlapLaB #20 2 years ago

    They should make a GH: Axl Rose to compensate.

  • Tonne #21 2 years ago

    @SLaplab
    they have enough problems selling guitar hero as it is

  • Eraser #22 2 years ago

    f'n L-O-L @ the Bobby Kotick post :D

  • Lusterpurge #23 2 years ago

    So it's a massive cock vs a massive cunt? Whatever happens, it's going to get messy.

  • rosshuts #24 2 years ago

    This is great! The blind leading the blind in some cases.

    If they do a guitar hero Axl Rose edition you should get an achievement for turning up late on the stage to play!!

    Dick!

  • electrolite #25 2 years ago

    Good to see he's as quick putting together a lawsuit as he is getting his pampered arse on stage for a gig/major festival appearance. Slash at Glastonbury > Axl at Reading

  • Subi #26 2 years ago

    At the moment it look like Acti are winning.


  • DirectAim #27 2 years ago

    whats a dick

  • actionfitz #28 2 years ago

    Axl Rose is a massive wanker.

    If he's hurting for cash, how about next time he tours the UK he actually shows up on time and puts in a full set rather than sacking his staff for letting him sleep in (as per his instructions).

    I waited nearly an hour past his start time for him to show up at Reading this year. got fed up, went back to the campfire to get drunk.

    Fuck him.
    Fuck Activision too.
    But mostly fuck him.

  • MaFlippinHeadHurts #29 2 years ago

    He’s such a dick.

    Perhaps I’ll sue him for coming on two hours late and running the Manchester gig the other week into past 1 o’clock in the morning on a Monday.

    ….at least Slash respects his fans, unlike that knob head!

  • youhavenomail #30 2 years ago

    I don't care what any of you say, I think it's great that Axl is seeking to protect GNR. Now, has he sacked the session musicians and stopped looking like Mick Hucknall? I wanna play Appetite For Destruction and Use Your Illusion in Rock Band 3 NOW and I wanna pretend to be Slash just like everyone else does (including DJ Ashba).

  • kangarootoo #31 2 years ago

    Such a massive has been (speaking as an old fart and one time massive GnR fan).

    He has always been a dick, but he used to be a talented writer and singer as well so we put up with him. Now his ego and talent have sped off in opposite directions. The rest of the old G'n'R crew are royally showing him up by still kicking out good rnr tunes in VR with a proper does of humility. I'd still go to a VR gig these days (even though my tastes have changed over the years), but I wouldn't bother crossing a room to give Axel a slap. He is forgettable and forgotten.

  • GreedoShotFirst #32 2 years ago

    I'm confused. If the enemy of my enemy is my friend, then who the fuck is my friend in all of this?

  • Jonny5Alive7 #33 2 years ago

    It does sound like the sort of thing Activision would do, but why has it taken him 3 years to realise?

  • StolenGlory #34 2 years ago

    Hey, rehab isn't free you know.
    Edited by StolenGlory at 24/11/10 @ 13:30

  • bladdard #35 2 years ago

    I can imagine the conversation went something like.

    You be rippin' off the fuckin' kids
    While they be payin' their hard earned
    money to play gun's n roses
    songs in rock band
    Spoutin lies startin' controversy
    You wanta antagonize me
    Antagonize me motherfucker
    Get in the ring motherfucker
    And I'll kick your bitchy little ass
    Punk

  • metallicorphan #36 2 years ago

    so let me get this straight,Axl is pissed that they used Sweet Child O' Mine for GH3 as well as the agreed GH2,and blah blah on Slash's likeness

    so are we to presume he is fine and dandy with the Anchor Butter Cows and their Paradise City Commercial????????

  • Xboxfanuk #37 2 years ago

    Why doesn't Activision buy the music publisher and then license it exclusively to Activision featuring slash in every Activision release going forward.

    And then throw all the GnR albums in a pile and burn then with hundred dollar bills in front of the musicians.

  • Wyrm #38 2 years ago

    Slash wasn't Guns n' Roses you fools. Look at Velvet Revolver and his solo album, hardly GnR standard.

    I adore the man, but Guns were a band and Axl was very much a part of it.

  • Wyrm #39 2 years ago

    Slash wasn't Guns n' Roses you fools. Look at Velvet Revolver and his solo album, hardly GnR standard.

    I adore the man, but Guns were a band and Axl was very much a part of it.

  • kevwinter #40 2 years ago

    I've always considered axles current band line up as 'the roses' The guns left a long time ago. It sickens me that buying these games may help line the pocket of that shorts wearing, whining publicity stunt and probably not the actual worthy musicians of the band.