Nytimes.com is reporting:

It took Axl Rose 14 years to complete the latest GUNS N' ROSES album. But it took his lawyers only two days to take Dr Pepper to task for not making good on a promise of free soda to “everyone in America” in celebration.

In March the manufacturer made headlines by saying it would give out cans of its 123-year-old soft drink if the album, Chinese Democracy, came out by the end of the year. That was by no means a sure proposition, since Mr. Rose had failed to meet so many deadlines over the years that the album had become the music industry’s most notorious (and expensive) shaggy-dog story.

On Sunday the album was finally released, and Dr Pepper gave fans 24 hours to go to its Web site for a coupon redeemable for a can of soda; so many did that the site crashed, and the deadline was extended to Monday.

“We never thought this day would come,” said Tony Jacobs, a Dr Pepper marketing executive, in a statement last week.

The arrangement irked fans, who took to the Internet with stories of being blocked for hours from the site and a related customer-service phone line. And that irked Mr. Rose.

On Tuesday his lawyers sent a harshly worded letter to the soft drink maker complaining of its “appalling failure to make good on a promise it made to the American public,” and demanding a public apology, more time for thirsty fans, and payment for piggybacking on the Chinese Democracy publicity.

When asked about the letter, Dr Pepper said in a statement that the company took “great steps” to accommodate the online requests from consumers.

“This was one of the largest responses we have ever received for a giveaway,” the statement said, “and we’re happy we were able to satisfy the thirst of so many Dr Pepper fans.”

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