The team behind Yu-Gi-Oh! says it had no role in a video posted by the The White House after the government account used clips from the anime without permission.
The issue began on March 5 when the White House’s official account on X shared a short montage video titled “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY.” The scenes used were from various major entertainment titles. These were set to the famous theme from the Mortal Kombat series.
The scenes used were from various major entertainment titles. These titles include the TV drama series Breaking Bad, the sci-fi video game series Halo, the Transformers series of action films, the Marvel film Deadpool, the anime series Dragon Ball Super, the space-themed series Star Wars, and the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh!, a card battle series.
The post had gone viral. Many people were interested in the contrast between the political messages and the entertainment content. Three days after this post, a response came from the company that owns the Yu-Gi-Oh brand.
Konami Issues Statement Over Unauthorised Yu-Gi-Oh! Footage in White House Post
On March 10, the official Yu-Gi-Oh social media account published a public statement. The message was quite clear: the creators of the anime series did not endorse the use of their content.
“It has come to our attention that a post on the White House’s official X account used footage from the anime series Yu-Gi-Oh,” the statement said.
The company said the clips appeared in the video without authorisation from the rights holder. It also stressed that no member of the franchise’s creative team had any role in the post.
“Regarding this matter, no one associated with the manga or anime had any involvement, and no permission was granted for the use of this intellectual property,” the statement continued.
Yu-Gi-Oh is a franchise owned by a gaming and entertainment company called Konami. As of now, it is not clear whether Konami is planning to take any legal action regarding the usage of anime content.
Halo and Pokémon Icons Distance Themselves from White House Social Media Campaign
Yu-Gi-Oh was not the only franchise to be mentioned during this debate. Voice actor Steve Downes had something to say after the montage featured content from the Halo franchise.
Downes is known for voicing the main character, Master Chief. After the video spread online, he posted a message stating that he had no connection to the White House post.
“Let me make this crystal clear,” Downes wrote. “I did not participate in nor was I consulted, nor do I endorse the use of my voice in this video or the message it conveys.”
Another company also responded to a separate government social media post. The The Pokémon Company issued a statement after a White House account shared an image connected to the Pokémon brand.
The post used the Pokopia logo and placed the slogan “Make America Great Again” above it, along with the caption “MAGA.” The image went viral and sparked debate among fans.
Pokémon Rebukes White House Over Unauthorized Use of IP in Political Video
A spokesperson for the Pokémon Company said the organization had no involvement with the image or the message attached to it.
“We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property,” the company said. The spokesperson added that the company’s mission focuses on bringing people together and does not align with political agendas.
The situation highlights a growing challenge for entertainment companies. Popular clips and characters spread fast on social media. Government accounts, brands, and users often remix those materials for memes or political messages.
In many cases, the original rights holders respond once the content gains attention. Companies such as HoYoverse have taken legal action in the past to protect their properties, including moves against sites leaking information about Genshin Impact.
For now, the White House video remains online. Whether any of the companies involved pursue legal action remains an open question.
