Former Guns N’ Roses principals Slash and Duff McKagan have sued frontman Axl Rose for allegedly naming himself sole administrator of the group’s copyrights.
The suit was filed Aug. 17 in Los Angeles federal court by Slash and Duff, otherwise known as Saul Hudson and Michael McKagan. It accuses Rose of profiting from their revenue shares to the tune of about $500,000 a year.
The suit claims Rose directed the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) to send all publishing royalties to his publishing company, bypassing the band’s other partners.
Rose is “suffering an apparent attack of arrogance and ego. He is no longer willing to acknowledge the contributions of his former partners and bandmates in having created some of rock’s greatest hits,” the suit said.
Rose’s attorney, Howard Weitzman, said the singer had asked to receive only his portion of royalties, and that the overpayment was due to a clerical error by the society. He said Rose had returned the extra funds to the organization.
Hudson and McKagan filed a suit against Rose last year, alleging the singer had wrongly claimed ownership of the group’s assets after he quit in 1995. It also claimed that Rose had blocked Hudson and McKagan from licensing the band’s recordings to movie producers. The case is pending.
Rose is the only member of the band who retains the right to perform under the Guns N’ Roses name. Hudson and McKagan are now part of Velvet Revolver.
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