Pokémon Company Condemns White House’s Use of Its Imagery in Political Meme

Pokémon Company International has publicly condemned the White House’s use of its intellectual property, including imagery from the recently released game Pokopia and the character Pikachu, in a political meme posted on social media. This marks the second instance in recent months of the Pokémon Company rebuking the administration for utilizing its branding without permission.

Unauthorized Use of Pokémon IP

The White House posted a meme on X (formerly Twitter) featuring imagery reminiscent of Pokopia, with the slogan “Build America Great Again” displayed in a font similar to the game’s title. A small Pikachu appears in the design. Pokémon Company International stated unequivocally that it was not involved in the meme’s creation or distribution and had not granted permission for the use of its intellectual property.

“We were not involved in its creation or distribution and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property,” said Pokémon spokeswoman Sravanthi Dev according to the BBC. “Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda.”

Previous Disputes with the Trump Administration

This is not the first time the Pokémon Company has taken issue with the White House’s use of its intellectual property. In September, the company criticized the Trump administration for using the Pokémon theme song and the slogan “Gotta catch ‘em all” in a video showcasing arrests made by U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration agents as reported by NBC News. Like the recent incident, the Pokémon Company stated it had not authorized the use of its branding for political purposes.

White House Response and Potential Legal Action

When contacted by the BBC, the White House suggested the Pokémon Company has a political bias as reported by the BBC. The Pokémon Company has not indicated whether it intends to pursue legal action against the U.S. Government, but it has firmly asserted its rights over its intellectual property.

Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary

This dispute comes as Pokémon celebrates its 30th anniversary. The company recently released Pokopia for Nintendo, a life-simulation game that appears to have been the source of the imagery used in the White House meme according to NBC News.