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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 [s]lock[/s] 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?
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I thought he died years ago.
The slim Axel did 😉
we're safe, Drac
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FATTERER!
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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?
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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
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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?
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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 ?
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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.
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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.
It's water retention
Welcome to the (Internet) Jungle Axl....
He needs to get back into the rock and roll "staples" to lose some of that lard!
Sweet pies of mine?
Should have emailed a link to the iDave thread to the lawyers.
Maybe you should send him a link to all the old iDave diet threads?
What about all his shit singing? I'm sure that is all over the internet and I bet youtube is full of videos with him wailing! Take it all down fat man! It's all so embarrassing!
Hotlinking images is a little cheeky, perhaps - but nowadays hosting costs naff-all so it's not like you're costing the host anything. Besides, if the host cared enough, there are ways to prevent easy hotlinking of images.
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As someone who has weekly battles with their legal dept over images, I can sympathise. Our legal team's position is that to contest anything, even when we're in the right, costs us more money than to simply roll over. So their advice is always to fold. I would guess your hosts gave the same attitude. It's basically a game of poker.
Barbara or something to that effect...
OTOH it is all about taking the piss out of someone for daring to get old and fat.
And your point is Fatty McOldface? 😀
Northwind discovers The Internet.
Could be worse, Blackie Lawless has turned in to Peter Kay!
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OTOH it is all about taking the piss out of someone for daring to get old and fat.
OTOH, he could stop whining.
Perhaps he's just "big boned" ? 😯
It's glandular.
I'm now hunting everyone online that's accused me of being ginger.
Flashy - get your lawyers ready!
slowoldman - MemberOTOH, he could stop whining.
It's axl rose, he's built his entire career on whining. Well, they [i]said[/i] he was singing.
But seriously, is that your response to everyone that gets shit-talked on the internet? Stop whining? Or is there something about axl rose that makes him a legitimate target for attack based on his appearance? Who else is this OK for?
Yes it's the internet, yes people are dicks on it but I reckon there's a line between knowing theirs dicks on the internet, and saying that's fine, or joining in.
Could he not just get Greggs to sponsor him?
The images were posted by a user here
Aah! That might have been me? I've certainly posted fat axl meme pics on here before. Sorry for any trouble caused Mark. 😳
Sad that a rock hero of my youth has turned into such a humourless ****, but he always was highly strung.
Hotlinking images is a little cheeky, perhaps
If it was me then the images in question were from meme image hosting sites, which actively encourage hotlinking and often provide full BB code to make it easier.
For other pics I generally use a free image hosting site like http://postimage.org/ (which incidentally [b]Mark[/b] actually [url= http://postimage.org/mod.php ]offer a plugin to add image hosting to your forum[/url]).
[i]Or is there something about axl rose that makes him a legitimate target for attack[/i]
Mmm, maybe the contempt he treated his fans (the fools!) with?
Hmm, it's a very hot potato, this one. As said, those concerned about hotlining should make steps to prevent it (substituting porn is just childish). It's a bit like going out and leaving your front door unlocked and being surprised that someone's nicked your telly.
"It has been tested in US courts"
Which is completely irrelevant for you; you're a UK based company. And you are in effect 'publishing' the image, which makes you responsible somehow. A lot of website/forum owners cite this thing about the image not being hosted on the servers they use, but I'm not sure if this stands up any longer. I think UK law changed recently to define this issue more clearly. Ultimately, the forum is under your control, and you have a duty to ensure it is run in accordance with the law of the country in which your business is based. That it is practically impossible to police the whole of the internet effectively, makes the whole issue even more complex.
Axl Isn't Happy
Aren't fat folk supposed to be jolly?
Fail.
"As said, those concerned about hotlining should make steps to prevent it"
Although having said that, what if someone takes a screen grab of an image the host has taken steps to prevent being hotlinked? Isn't that illegally reproducing something? 😕
Confusing. Ultimately, it's probably best to just remove the images. No big deal really. I suppose the only way of being absolutely sure you're ok, is by ensuring that the only images that can be posted on the forum can be posted by the original copyright holders, and that if they break this rule, they can be banned/sued/put in stocks in the town square etc.
"He used to eat a little, then a little wouldn't do it, so a little got more and more...Just keep trying to get a little bigger, just a little bigger than before..."
Perhaps he should sign up and to start a thread on the idave diet and what bike for fat old bloke 😉
Am surprised Donhost got into that really. Knowing the industry and the people there reasonably well, they would ordinarily know the difference between hotlinking and actually hosting the image. Oh well.
he has fair let himself go
He also seems a little touchy about this fact
This thread has ruined one of my favourite Ben Folds 5 songs:
(For those who CBA clicking it's 'Julianne':
[i]I met this girl she looked like Axl Rose,
Got drunk, took her home and we slept in our clothes...[/i]
...albeit possibly now more reflective of real life.)
Did they give a list of photos of Axl where he's acceptably slim enough that we can post? Maybe some kind of threshold needs to be establshed, based on waist size perhaps? Although it'll be hard to judge waist size from a photo, so maybe the International Organization for Standardization could publish a photo of Mick Hucknall to campare against, and if he looks fatter it's too fat? Hmmmm...
Is this too fat?
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Looks like he's about to eat Angus
Why is Jimmy Krankie on guitar?
Yes it's the internet, yes people are dicks on it but I reckon there's a line between knowing theirs dicks on the internet, and saying that's fine, or joining in.
Whilst this is true, as one of my friends told me when I won a court case against me, being a bit (rude word)-ey isn't a crime, luckily for me.
when I won a court case against me
you sued yourself? how very STW
If you took yourself to court then he has a point.
when I won a court case against me
Are you Axl Rose and did you take a selfie?
Maybe he has mi[b]STEAK[/b]en him for something else 8)Looks like he's about to eat [b]Angus[/b]
Reading the Consequence of Sound article, the reason for the legal threats is copyright violations of the specific images that have been used in the fat Axl memes. Are there no public domain images of Axl looking a bit tubby that could be used instead? He wouldn't be able to use copyright to attack them.
This seems to be one of those things were several issues are being conflated together. Ask any serious photographer (or musician, or many other content creators) about what it's like to see their work used without permission on the Internet and you'll hear a lot about the difficulties of making money from or even just receiving decent attribution for digital content. But here it sounds more like Axl is using the copyright violation as a means to attack those who've hurt his ego so is he misusing copyright law to undermine satire and parody? Or is he using it to fight a form of cyber bullying?
And all of that is before you get to the issue of what counts as publishing online, which is the bit that's actually causing Mark and STW trouble...