So, according to this story here http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/06/axl-rose-sends-notice-to-google-demanding-takedown-of-fat-memes/ Axl isn’t very happy about al those memes that are floating around of him looking less than slim.

Interestingly, a couple of weeks ago we were contacted by the very same legal team demanding that we remove from our servers two images that had been posted in a forum thread. The images were posted by a user here and as regular image posters will know, that means they were actually hotlinked from another site – in this case from the meme generating site from whence they came.

I responded by pointing out to Web Sheriff (what a stupid name from a company) that we couldn’t comply since the images were not on our servers. I pointed out to them where they were actually stored and wished them the best of luck in getting the hosts to remove them.

I heard nothing back for a week.

..Then our own server hosting company Don Host, contacted us instructing us they had received a notice from Web Sheriff alleging breach of copyright by our site. They told us that if we didn’t remove the images from our site that they would turn our servers off. We had no option but to comply as we couldn’t risk that happening.

I contacted our hosts and told them that the request from this legal company was spurious and even if they did turn us off those images would remain exactly where they were. I explained that hotlinking an image is not a breach of copyright as nothing has been copied. A link has been created to where the file exists on another server. They explained that they don’t take chances with legal issues such as this and they generally comply to avoid expensive legal proceedings.

Hmm.

Copyright technicalities aside this does raise the issue of hotlinking in general. It has been tested in US courts and it’s not a breach of copyright to hotlink and image as the original file is not copied. But that doesn’t mean that it’s right to do so. In this case someone had breached copyright, it just wasn’t us. There’s a lot of images hotlinked from this forum every day.

It’s an interesting issue that I now open to the house for debate 🙂

Sounds like your web hosting company is just been lazy and looking for an easy life…

Full marks for standing up to the lawyers…

Plus if Axel Rose isn’t happy about being called fat, he could just lose some weight!

In before the lock shutdown of stw due to the incoming fat Axl pix

Well it’s a fairly crappy state of affairs, but I can see why you and your hosting have taken the course of action that you have. It’s just not worth potentially damaging your business over.

Surely it’d be cheaper for Axl to get a personal trainer than get a legal firm to hunt down every offending picture anyway?

I thought he died years ago.

Who’s going to be first?

Fat axle?

I thought he died years ago.

The slim Axel did 😉

we’re safe, Drac

FATTERER!

25mm FTW!

Sweets, child of mine….

😉

I just did an image search for “fat Axl”. Just because of this thread.

haha.

Ohhhhh…..

Can I?
Please?

I just did an image search for “fat Axl”. Just because of this thread.

Just did the same, why is Keith Lemon in them?

Love it.
My favourite is the “oh, oh, oh, oh, sweet pie of mine”

Good work on telling the lawyers to get stuffed.

Change Web provider Mark, disgusting.

Appetite for litigation?

He’s let himself go a lot

Holy crap, some fat knacker has eaten Axl Rose and his ego

Change Web provider Mark, disgusting.

+ 1.

Axl Isn’t Happy

Well Duh. He’s a bit big for a dwarf.

Did you know that Axl Rose is in fact an anagram of fat moany bastard?

Did you know that Axl Rose is in fact an anagram of fat moany bastard?

Chinese Democracy is an anagram of “I, screachy demon”.

Buns and Roses on the rider?

Damn it perchy.

A. you got in before me
B. You bothered to attach photos.

I don’t get why celebs do stuff like this. I understand axl doesn’t want people laughing at him being fat, but as soon as he kicks up a fuss, more people than ever go and Google fat axl rose.

is sharkattack’s picture actually axl ?

😀

This makes Richard sad 🙁 The world is degenerating at a spectacular pace.

Well he’s got no-one else to blame for being a lardarse

It’s his own fault. He’s a quitter.

It’s an interesting issue that I now open to the house for debate

I’d be very much in favour of it.

Copyright issues aside, hotlinking always used to be regarded as poor form. You’re basically using other sites’ bandwidth for free. It’s probably less of an issue these days, I’ve not looked at how hosting is priced in quite some time so things may have changed, but if you have the ability / capacity to host images then I’d say go for it.

If nothing else it gives you full control over site content. Just look back at some of our “classic” Photoshop threads; half of the images have expired or disappeared. And I’ve known sites aggressively block hotlinking; I’ve seen one substitute all hotlinked images with lemonparty.

Also, change hosts.

is sharkattack’s picture actually axl ?

It’s Dog the Bounty Hunter I think?

One trick pony moans about being a one trick pony ?

bounty eater, fo’ sho’

Axl should have more self respect.
The server hosts should grow some.
The sooner that hotlinking is covered by copyright, the better. It’s ridiculous that an artist can’t control where their image goes.

If it was’nt for hotlinking I’d have to put some form of thought in to my posts….as it is i just post random picture with no forethought whatsoever.

I heard the brilliant Bob Mills on the wireless the other month saying he left Twitter because he was perfectly well aware thank you that he’d put on a couple of pounds and he wasn’t on telly as much as he used to be.

Surely this falls under fair use for parody, caricature and pastiche

Funnily enough, all things that Axl Rose seems to have become regards his former self 🙂

Appetite for Confection more like.