Does This Make My Axl Look Fat?

Axl Rose, citing a photographer’s signed release transferring copyright to the Guns N’ Roses singer, issued a takedown notice to Google of a 2010 image of him shot in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that’s since become a favorite base for a “Fat Axl” internet meme.

But takedown notices and copyright claims also have implications for concert photographers who are frequently required to sign photo releases that hand over creative control of images produced to performers if they want to shoot their shows.

The photograph, shot , depicts Rose hunched over and wearing a white, unbuttoned shirt and red bandanna. Internet pranksters have taken the photo and layered text over the image to create memes saying things like, “Welcome to the jungle/We’ve got tons of cake” and “Appetite for Dessert.”

The takedown notices, filed by Web Sheriff on behalf of Rose, say the copyright of the images is owned by Rose, not the photographer. According to TorrentFreak, a blog for file-sharing and torrent news, copyright claims were sent to Blogspot and GoogleUserContent May 31.

“We can gladly confirm that all official / accredited photographers at [Axl Rose] shows sign-off on ‘Photography Permission’ contracts / ‘Photographic Release’ agreements which A. specify and limit the manner in which the photos can be exploited and B. transfer copyright ownership in such photos to AR’s relevant service company,” the company told TorrentFreak.

“[If a photographer] was there and taking shots without permission or authority, then other considerations / factors would come-into-play as to what such individuals can and cannot do in terms of attempting to commercially exploit the resultant images of someone else’s show,” the statement continued. R

ose isn’t the only one with a beef. Minkevich argued that the Blogspot images were infringing in a different manner: “Either way the photo was stolen off our website with no permission granted by the Winnipeg Free Press,” he told Rolling Stone.

But even Minkevich doesn’t have the last word on who owns the photo. The Winnipeg Free Press says it, and not Rose or Minkevich, owns the editorial copyright for the images, and has approved no third-party usage.

Mike Aporius, the paper’s photo and multimedia director, told the Washington Post that “we were only recently made aware of these memes, and while we ethically don’t approve, viral media is impossible for us to regulate. Welcome to the jungle.”