President Trump tweeted using some pop culture IP without permission and got his campaign into a bit of legal trouble. So, you know, basically, it was a day of the week that ends in y.
Specifically, a 2020 campaign video featuring music from Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Dark Knight Rises was taken down from Twitter last night at the studio’s request. By the time the video was nixed, it had already been viewed more than 2.3 million times. (See a screenshot of it here.)
“The use of Warner Bros.’ score from The Dark Knight Rises in the campaign video was unauthorized,” a Warner Bros. spokesperson says in a statement. “We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed.”
In just two minutes, the video not only illegally included Hans Zimmer’s “Why Do We Fall?” from the 2012 film, but it also pirated the property’s signature font. The font was used to display the following:
First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they call you a racist. Donald J. Trump. Your vote. Proved them all wrong. Trump: The Great Victory. 2020.
The unauthorized use is the latest in a well-established pattern that extends beyond Twitter. Both the president and his campaign are known for “borrowing” music, imagery, references, etc. whenever they want. (*cough* Game of Thrones-reminiscent poster with “Sanctions Are Coming” *cough*)
“We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes,” HBO says. The studio also tweeted, “How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?”
Photo: Warner Bros.
