Axl Rose may have undermined own case over Dr Pepper stunt

Guns N' Roses and frontman Axl Rose has threatened legal proceedings against Dr Pepper over an unauthorised publicity stunt that offered a free bottle of the soft drink to every American in celebration of the band's first new album in 14 years. Citing intellectual property abuse, Beverly Hills-based lawyer Alan S Gutman said …

[Robin Szemeti]

It would be worth bothering about if ...

Dr Pepper actually tasted pleasant. The stuff tastes like a mix of toothpaste and low grade cola to me.

Paris, 'cos she likes a drink.

[Steve]

Why would anyone want that tasteless sh1t?

...or a can of Dr Pepper come to that.

[Norfolk Enchants Paris]

I'm surprised

I think Dr Pepper tastes terrible so I am surprised that demand should crash their servers.. I wonder if it was enterprising corner shop owners logging in 100 times to get free stock (or free vouchers to 'redeem')

But other than that, who cares? Band past prime sues maker of terrible tasting drink. Yawn.

[EdwardP]

Axl...

...Rose is a self centred delusional pseudo-artist who nowadays seems to think the best place to embody the rock and roll persona is in court.

Nobody will buy this record, nobody bought the last one, you get rid of Slash and you're fucked.

They were an amazing band, but have no illusions, Guns and Roses died in 1998 when the actual musicians left, leaving only a jumped up singer with no songs.

The fact that he still calls his rag tag band of imitators Guns and Roses is a testament to quite how egocentric a man Axl really is.

You want real music? Look into Velvet Revolver, Slash's new band, and then tell me who made GnR, Axl, or Slash.

[Bad Beaver]

yeah, you know how it is

those free giveaways always leave me feeling exploited too, especially when they contain free promotion for a not really that great album even if it is disguised as a funny poke. I totally agree that in today's day and age, you just cannot do anything without first consulting the attorneys of everybody possibly involved. Lawyers need to eat too, you know?

[Sooty]

Ruined?

guns n roses must have some odd fans if being handed a free drink ruined a record release for them?

I know it tastes a bit like fizzy Benylin, but that shouldn't have a serious impact on their enjoyment of music.

[Anonymous Coward]

I agree it was misleading...

...in no way is it an "instant classic", in fact the new single, whatsitcalled, is forgettable at best, self indulgent crap at worst....

[Marc McAllister]

Rose does it again

When will he learn to stop being such a idiot, look where it has gotten him over the last 15 years or so. He only has himself to blame.

I refuse to buy or even listen to the new album 'cause it just ISN'T G'n'R..

[The BigYin]

Payment

One would have thought that a national series of full page ads and the subsequent publicity would be more than enough "payment" enough for any gaff.

Is it that album any good? Or is it just a flashback to "Appetite for Destruction"?

[Chris Simmons]

Good God

All this over a crap album from a has-been and a free can of fizzy piss?

Mine is the one with an MP3 player stuffed with Zeppelin, Floyd and Zappa in the pocket.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ruined Release????

The only thing that ruined the release was the total tosh that was on the album!

[The Fuzzy Wotnot]

Oh dear...

"our clients are outraged at your treatment of their fans and the American public in general" , hmmm unlike your attempt to fool gullible planks to part with money in exchange for the mental drivel punted by your client, Mr Rose?

[Michael]

Dr Pepper? (What's the worst that could happen?)

Well.... for a start , DPS's share price ain't doing so well . $16.22 is shag all when we were expecting around $25-$30 .Young better keep his CV (resume, if you're french) ...handy.

Also, hope the RIAA have traditional chinese keyboards handy, they may need them.

[David Cornes]

Website crashed

Friggin' H - it's ONE free can of fizzy shite!

Some people must be EXTREMELY hard up to have even bothered to try, let alone complain when they couldn't get the vouchers!

[Kyle]

Show some compassion to Axl Rose

After all, it's been what, over a decade since the band last had a release? That's over a decade since he started spending the advance on a record that is, by now, supremely irrelevant and thus going to be a bought by considerably fewer people than he might hope. So, since album sales are clearly going to be in the crapper, suing a major soft drink manufacturer is the only way he can try to pay off the advance for the label.

[Kenny Swan]

Huh?

Are you having a f**king giraffe? How can anyone care enough to log onto a website and go through all that for a free soft drink, let alone complain on the internet when they didn't get it. It's beyond greedy and pathetic. It's in a new realm above that. It's...American...Ewww

[RW]

Dr. Pepper delicious!

What other soft drink do you know of that's prune-flavored?

And besides, it's something of a regional delicacy in the American southeast, so deserves protection as a national culinary treasure.

[Anonymous Coward]

meh

So the something achieved escape velocity, climbing out of the gravity well of the alcoholic, wife- beating onanist's ludicrous ego. Too a few years, didn't it? Too bad the rather naff wad thus ejected is so very turgid and forgettable.

Remind me why we should give a damn, again?

[kain preacher]

So

When outkast did the song roses smell like boo boo, they were talking about Axel.

How can any one drink Dr Pepper is beyond me.

[Darryl]

@Sooty - Thank you!

"fizzy Benylin" - that is the PERFECT description of that stuff. I remember being all excited way back in my teen years that they were finally importing that stuff into Canada, at least until I tasted it.

I don't think I've ever been excited about Guns & Roses.

[david wilson]

Prune-flavoured?

The one time I was unfortunate enough to try it, it seemed more like someone had dissolved essence of synthetic marzipan in cheap cola.

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe the reg could have a competition..

..to find people in the UK who've bought a copy of the album :)

[Anonymous Coward]

I have always called it...

Dr. Pecker. And we ALL know who drinks Dr. Pecker.

[Ed]

Perhaps...

Look I dont really give two bits about GNR or Axel Rose, but you should give him some credit....

To me it looks like he is trying to ensure that his fans get their Dr Pepper....

After all it sure looks like Dr Pepper is trying to wesel out of it!

[Anonymous Coward]

@EdwardP

I saw Velvet Revolver a few years ago and they were actually pretty crap.

[Zmodem]

forgetting

brit pop is an absolute joke to americans and theyre definition of rock n roll. a southern unsigned stoner band will laugh in the face of oasis and everyone else that comes from briton. CD will probaly end up selling 30million

[Dr Patrick J R Harkin]

"Dr Pepper! What's the worst that could happen?"

Well, it could taste like Dr Pepper...

I'm not even sure he's a real doctor, to be honest...

[Tonto Popaduopolos]

This whole thing......

......is leaving a bad taste in my mouth!

[Anonymous Coward]

re:ruined

Maybe it was ruined because the long awaited release of their album was ridiculously overshadowed by what turned into "free Dr Pepper day" instead of the release of an album which fans have apparently been waiting a decade for. A total farce, especially with the end result being that probably 2% of America even knew about the vouchers, let alone went online for the site to inevitably crash and fail.

The band maybe went along with it as a bit of light hearted fun until Dr Pepper acted like idiots and didn't follow through on their promise. When this story popped up a while ago I did wonder how Dr Pepper was going to afford to give away millions of cans, never mind how they were going to organise it.

I doubt the band personally update their website, and it's sort of besides the point.

CLEARLY Dr Pepper were using Guns N Roses for publicity and I don't think it matters in a court of law what some random person might have said on their behalf.

The law states that using a band'' name, image etc, exploiting it this way is illegal and what Dr Pepper did was illegal. Also stupid. They deserve all they get since it is beyond pathetic how the decided to go about it after making such a huge statement as "free drink for every single person in america."

In fact, I don't think "implied consent" even matters. I hope there is some kind of contract otherwise Dr Pepper are in a lot of trouble as they have truly milked it, compared to the couple of remarks Axl Rose supposedly made.

They are both as bad as eachother and probably enjoying the publicity of dragging this out, so get used to it. It might even last 10 years

[David]

I like Dr Pepper.

Am I the only one who likes it? Pisses me off that you can only buy it in Boots or Woolworths. Tastes like Disaronno and Coke. Which in turn tastes a bit like cherry Coke which you can also only buy in Boots or Woolworths.

Hmmmm.

Anyhow. Just goes to show that most Americans are like little whiney bitches.