CULTURE

Warner Bros. Takes Legal Action on Trump Campaign Ad Because of ‘Dark Knight’ Copyright Infringement

This isn't even the first time that Trump has run into trouble with copyright infringement

NME.com

In the latest installment of the Trump-controlled reality TV show we're all living in, our President now has beef with Warner Bros. Studios because he posted a campaign video that included a selection from The Dark Knight Rises soundtrack.

The video advertisement first appeared on Twitter on Tuesday. It featured Hans Zimmer's "Why Do We Fall," and even used a font from some of the film's advertisements.

Hans Zimmer - Why Do We Fall? (with chant)www.youtube.com

By Wednesday morning, Warner Bros. had threatened legal action. "The use of Warner Bros.' score from The Dark Knight Rises in the campaign video was unauthorized," the company said in a statement. "We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed."

Within a few hours, the video—which had already amassed over 2.3 million views—was taken down. Later, a Trump aide stated that the video had actually been made by a supporter and not the administration itself.

Trump's 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale also had plenty to say on the matter, even arguing that Warner Bros. is "positioning themselves as a weapon of the left."

This isn't even the first time that Trump has been in hot water over attempts to capitalize on popular culture. He also tried to reference Game of Thrones in his November sanctions announcement, leading HBO to threaten him with legal action.

Overall, the Trump clan does not seem to have issues with copying others—after all, it's hard to forget the time Melania Trump effectively stole a speech by Michelle Obama. On the other hand, this is one of the first times that the administration has faced fallout from their legal infringements.


Eden Arielle Gordon is a writer and musician from New York. Follow her on Twitter @edenarielmusic.


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