Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose Sues 'Guitar Hero' for $20M over Slash

By Jason Beahm on November 29, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the maker of Guitar Hero. Why? Because they put Slash in the game.

So then shouldn't Slash be the one suing? That's how it usually works. Nevertheless, Rose filed suit against Activision, claiming that they violated the terms of the deal where Guns N' Roses licensed the song "Welcome to the Jungle." According to Rose, Activision broke its promise not to include ex-guitarist Saul Hudson, better known as Slash.

The lawsuit states that Activision fraudulently induced Rose by promising that Guitar Hero III would not feature any reference to Slash or the band Velvet Revolver.

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

Rose says that Activision lied to him when he discovered that a Slash-like character and Velvet Revolver songs were included in Guitar Hero II. When GH III was released, the box featured "an animated depiction of Slash."

Skip Miller, attorney for Axl Rose, says that the lawsuit is about protection of intellectual property rights and holding Activision accountable

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