Velvet Revolver's Slash and Duff McKagan have filed a federal lawsuit against their former Guns n Roses bandmate Axl Rose over allegations he sold the group's copyrighted songs to Sanctuary's publishing division without their consent, and that he has so far kept all the royalties that the deal delivered for himself. Slash and Duff put Roses' decision to cut them out of receiving royalties for songs they helped create down to the Guns n Roses' frontman's "arrogance and ego". The lawsuit concludes: "Rose's actions were malicious, fraudulent and oppressive, and undertaken in conscious disregard of [Slash and Duff's] property rights."
It's not the first time Axl Rose has come to blows with his former band mates about the royalties relating to the bands songs and recordings, though there was a temporary truce last year when all the former bandmates united to criticise Mercury for releasing a greatest hits album without consulting the band old and new on what tracks should appear in what order. So perhaps Mercury could do something similar to help Axl, Slash, Duff et al find something they can agree on.