The US Government's Mario, Pokemon and Naruto Meme Posting Could Damage These Franchises, Japanese Officials Warn (ign.com) 87
Japanese officials have repeatedly asked the Trump administration to stop using characters from franchises such as Mario, Pokemon, and Naruto in unauthorized government memes and pro-war videos, warning that the posts could damage the intellectual property involved. IGN reports: Official US government social media accounts, including The White House's X account, have posted various memes and videos using characters from popular Japanese anime and games over the past year. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly called on the US government to cease uploading such posts, stating that "It's inappropriate even for public institutions to reproduce copyrighted materials without the rightsholders' consent." This concern was voiced by Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi in a parliamentary session back in April, when he made direct reference to a pro-war video that used Nintendo's Wii Sports.
However, according to a report by Mainichi Shimbun this week, the Japanese Ministry called on the Trump administration to stop using IPs like Naruto, Pokemon and Mario at least twice more this June through the US Embassy in Japan. Japan requested that the US administration take into account the potential damage to these IPs when used without permission in US policy and pro-war related content.
[...] It's not just the Japanese government and related parties who have spoken out against these posts. They have also sparked backlash from Japanese anime fans. Notably, self-proclaimed manga and anime fan Nana Suzuki kicked off the "Protect Japanese Manga" petition on Change.org, which has received international news coverage (from the New York Times, BBC and others). The organizer claims to have submitted their petition to the Japanese Cabinet Office back in March, as well as alerting Japanese politicians to the US government's unauthorized use of Japanese IPs, potentially drawing more official attention to the issue.
Renewed backlash was triggered in June, when President Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting himself as Naruto, the protagonist of the popular manga and anime of the same name, on Truth Social. This prompted the petition organizer to reopen the petition "as an urgent effort to convey our protest and concern regarding this matter to the rights holders and to work in solidarity to lobby the Japanese government." The Naruto clip also prompted renewed discussion of this issue in Japan's media and government. As reported in the Hokkaido Shimbun and others, Cabinet Minister Kimi Onoda was asked about it in a June 12th press conference. She emphasized that "obtaining permission from the copyright holder is the underlying principle for fair use," and stated that this position had been conveyed to the US government multiple times through diplomatic channels.
However, according to a report by Mainichi Shimbun this week, the Japanese Ministry called on the Trump administration to stop using IPs like Naruto, Pokemon and Mario at least twice more this June through the US Embassy in Japan. Japan requested that the US administration take into account the potential damage to these IPs when used without permission in US policy and pro-war related content.
[...] It's not just the Japanese government and related parties who have spoken out against these posts. They have also sparked backlash from Japanese anime fans. Notably, self-proclaimed manga and anime fan Nana Suzuki kicked off the "Protect Japanese Manga" petition on Change.org, which has received international news coverage (from the New York Times, BBC and others). The organizer claims to have submitted their petition to the Japanese Cabinet Office back in March, as well as alerting Japanese politicians to the US government's unauthorized use of Japanese IPs, potentially drawing more official attention to the issue.
Renewed backlash was triggered in June, when President Trump shared an AI-generated video depicting himself as Naruto, the protagonist of the popular manga and anime of the same name, on Truth Social. This prompted the petition organizer to reopen the petition "as an urgent effort to convey our protest and concern regarding this matter to the rights holders and to work in solidarity to lobby the Japanese government." The Naruto clip also prompted renewed discussion of this issue in Japan's media and government. As reported in the Hokkaido Shimbun and others, Cabinet Minister Kimi Onoda was asked about it in a June 12th press conference. She emphasized that "obtaining permission from the copyright holder is the underlying principle for fair use," and stated that this position had been conveyed to the US government multiple times through diplomatic channels.
Go to court ... (Score:3)
Re: Go to court ... (Score:2, Interesting)
Copyright does not protect selective enforcement and Courts look at the use itself - such as parody, education, or criticism.
No case here which is why they are whinging in the public square
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Fair use has a narrow interpretation, and will be balanced against harm to the brand.
Sure you can challenge it (Score:2)
The point is to drain resources because Trump has unlimited resources because he has the federal government behind him at least until 2028 and maybe even beyond that.
And that's going to continue as long as Republican primary voters slavishly do whatever dear leader says. Trump doesn't win every primary he endorses for example he tried to endorse the brown person and that's just not going to fly into Republican party. Bu
Re: Sure you can challenge it (Score:2)
Fetterman is the guy who makes moderates lean left; he is a net gain for the party. AOC and El-Said are the socialists who make even progressives think twice about voting Democrat.
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But only after you have spent tens of millions of dollars fighting the Trump doj.
Doubtful. The DOJ would recognize a losing case. Again, a court filing would likely be more effecting than just complaining in the press.
The point is to drain resources because Trump has unlimited resources because he has the federal government behind him at least until 2028 and maybe even beyond that.
Actually he doesn’t get to decide what is a good case for the DOJ to pursue or not. As shown in the DOJ seeking to dismiss charges in the reflecting pool vandalism case.
Re: Go to court ... (Score:4, Informative)
Copyright does not protect selective enforcement
Hmm. That does not appear to be the case. [georgetown.edu] One holding a copyright could simply claim that certain uses harm the value of their public image where others do not. Or one could break copyright by backing a grassroots movement to use IP without permission, resulting in the copyright holder having to pursue every little case. Now pardon me while I break out a Kleenex and cry for our corporate overlords.
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And certainly not in Japan. It is common for anime and manga copyright holders to allow a large amount of use of their characters, but still enforce copyrights on things like piracy.
Re: Go to court ... (Score:5, Insightful)
Copyright does not protect selective enforcement and Courts look at the use itself - such as parody, education, or criticism.
None of which apply to the US government's current use of these memes. They're using them to express their own geopolitical stances.
No case here which is why they are whinging in the public square
The Japanese rights-holders have a strong case against the US government for copyright infringement. The US government's use of the memes doesn't qualify as fair use.
On the other hand, suing the US government is not an easy task. The US government can claim sovereign immunity, or "allow" themselves to be sued under various acts of Congress. Not to mention there is potential diplomatic harm to the US-Japan relationship.
In short, the Japanese rights-holders do have a case, but obtaining satisfaction would be messy. That's why they're using the public forum to complain about the US government's actions.
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Not to mention there is potential diplomatic harm to the US-Japan relationship.
The mere existence of the current admin is potential diplomatic harm. Is there any nation out there that the orange guy hasn't pissed off?
Re: Go to court ... (Score:5, Informative)
Is there any nation out there that the orange guy hasn't pissed off?
Russia, North Korea, and other countries who's dictators he admires.
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Some give him planes, some want him to build a resort on top of their genocide...
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Not to mention there is potential diplomatic harm to the US-Japan relationship.
So what? The administration is hostile to all concerns other than their own. Japan received tariffs already. Japan will be used as thoroughly as they let themselves be used; therefore, they must speak up immediately, regardless of consequences as the consequences are guaranteed anyways.
Re: Go to court ... (Score:2)
You say there's no case but your example valid uses didn't apply here, it's nice when bullshit is obviously self-contradictory, thanks for that
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You are thinking of trademark, which is protect-it-or-lose-it. You can be as capricious about enforcing copyright as you want. In this case both the copyright of the individual images is being violated as well as the trademark on the characters/ franchise.
Go to Court... then face Retaliation? (Score:4, Insightful)
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Sure, they can go to court to challenge them. They may even get a few bucks out of it. However, that's not going to make up for when the Federal government responds by deporting Nintendo USA's senior leadership and slapping a tariff on their products.
Actually they could go to court for that too. And collect damages for the original case and this new case.
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How do you imagine that complaining will do more than going to court?
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Tariffs are irrelevant to enforcing copyright. Two very different things
Not here since Trumps reply will be a 1000% tarrif on Nintendo if they filed such a court case. So financially all they can do right now is to ask nicely.
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Tariffs are irrelevant to enforcing copyright. Two very different things
Not here since Trumps reply will be a 1000% tarrif on Nintendo if they filed such a court case. So financially all they can do right now is to ask nicely.
Actually he is using for genuine unfair trade practices. Environmental/Pollution abuse, labor abuse, currency manipulation, etc. These are predatory behaviors that give Chinese manufacturers an economic advantage. Retaliatory Tariffs are precisely the economic counter to such abuse. Again, being told to stop misusing copyrighted IP is something completely different.
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So fascinating! Tariffs all together are the largest tax increase on American citizens in many years. While they do cause damage and harm to others, you are the ones who pay it. Glad you are happy to contribute your part. And yet while they harm the American consumer, they don't seem to do any of the positive things that you suggest. Near as I can tell all they've done is driven up prices and enriched those who were already rich at the expense of the rest of Americans.
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So fascinating! Tariffs all together are the largest tax increase on American citizens in many years. While they do cause damage and harm to others, you are the ones who pay it.
Its not always passed through 100%. And even if it is, it is removing an unfair and predatory advantage that some offshore manufacturers have compared to US (an EU) manufacturers. By removing that economic advantage there can be a shift back to the west where environmental and labor relations are enforced.
That “lower cost” you refer to is the result of collaborations with polluters and abusers.
Also, money that flows to a domestic manufacturer has a multiplier effect that spill over into US
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He implemented it for Spain due to them not wanting to take part of the US war against Iran. He implemented them against Denmark for their refusal to just hand over Greenland. He implemented them for Canada for them having forest fires. Do you need more examples?
Still waiting for you to offer your first correct example. For example conflating blustery threats to canada over air quality and negligence with actual in place tariffs is not a real example. Its was his typical sort of blustery theatre that amounts to nothing..
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You are telling the wrong person. Try telling trump that. He uses tariffs for retaliation against anything he feels like. They are his #1 go to solution for everything. He is currently using "Forced Labor" as justification for tariffs on my country, which is 100% pure bullshit. So yea trump can go fuck himself.
Actually he is using it for genuine unfair trade practices. Environmental/Pollution abuse, labor abuse, currency manipulation, etc. These are predatory behaviors that give Chinese manufacturers an economic advantage. Retaliatory Tariffs are precisely the economic counter to such abuse. Again, being told to stop misusing copyrighted IP is something completely different.
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So do tell which of "Environmental/Pollution abuse, labor abuse, currency manipulation, etc" is the "genuine unfair trade practice" that New Zealand guilty of?
Exporting something made in China that benefits from those. I believe Trump's new scheme tracks that sort of thing to avoid origin washing.
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His labor abuse excuse is 100% that, a new excuse because the courts took his favorite toy off him and now the little baby need a new toy to bully people with. There is zero valid reasons to tariff a country with 40 year history of open mar
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Bullshit.
Nope. From google: "the practices of 60 economies, including New Zealand, which allegedly fail to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on the importation of goods produced with forced labor."
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Come on back up your statement with a link from a credible source, not made up bullshit from trump and co. There is zero evidence to back up the basis of this tariff. Again name a single real physical product that was ever exported from New Zealand to the USA but was made in China? Just one real transaction. I will say it again,
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Google is not an information source, it is an information index. That Google quote lacks a source link.
Then go a googling yourself and get educated. The reasoning above is what I recall being discussed in the news when the policy was originallly announced.
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"The reasoning above is what I recall being discussed in the news when the policy was originallly announced." was a limp excuse to use that section of the law to bring back the tariffs that courts had taken
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I'm not Googling for something doesn't exist ...
Not surprised you have no intellectual curiosity, that its all about politics for you. You just want a pretext to avoid inconvenient truths, not discover truths.
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So far you are just a lot of hot air who won't supply facts because you
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I Googled, no results that detailed any actual product of Chinese origin that was exported from New Zealand to the USA.
Which is not what I quoted with respect to google: "the practices of 60 economies, including New Zealand, which allegedly fail to impose or effectively enforce prohibitions on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.”
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Sorry but without facts you have zero credibility. Let's not waste more time, either reply with some facts or go away.
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Deflect much?
Nope, just not getting distracted by your straw man. Sticking to what I actually said. That quote is how the government describes the addition tariffs.
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I want to be Luigi (Score:2)
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Are you suggesting they play "Mario Court"? I'm in!!
Maybe they could add a Trump player to Mario Cart and have it always lose. Appropriate IP with his likeness.
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If I weren't so busy, I'd be computer-generating a demo video right now.
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Go to court, the USA protects copyrights.
I have US and international trademarks. In the process they tell you the governments can use them if they choose to and there is not much you can do about it.
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Go to court, the USA protects copyrights.
I have US and international trademarks. In the process they tell you the governments can use them if they choose to and there is not much you can do about it.
Beyond fair use available to all, how?
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Beyond fair use available to all, how?
I can't remember the specific details now, all I recall is seeing the clause (yeah, I actually read the contracts and law, it's quite boring) describing a gov veto power over the brand but 1 in a million that they'd ever use it. I don't even think I bothered asking my lawyer about it and thinking "Of course, gov maintains power, well there's fuck all I can do about it, I may as well just move on"
It's was one of those "Oh, they can do that too can they - typical" moments - I'd never thought about it until
Or they could ... (Score:2, Troll)
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Funny how looking back on the TV comedies "Brain Dead" 2016 and "The Brink" 2015 they suddenly feel less funny given the batshit crazy things happen in the USA now. I get the felling if you pitched a TV series back in 2015 based on stuff trump has actually done it would have been rejecte
Rules for thee, (Score:2, Insightful)
Not for ME. -DJT
Re:Remember Pearl Harbor? (Score:5, Informative)
Total US casualties at the hand of Japan during World War II came to about 406,000, of which the majority were military personnel.
Total Japanese casualties at the hand of the USA were about 2.1 to 3.1 million, of which about 800,000 to 1 million were civilians.
So, it seems the USA got enough "payback" from Japan already during WW II, and then some.
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You're trying to give them some kind of credit for being bad at something.
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if Japan was that weak and ineffective they should have stopped the suffering of their own people by surrendering earlier.
Yes, quite probably. But the Japanese people were (and still are) proud. Their military at the time saw surrender as a disgrace. They saw more honour in death than in defeat. That's what explains the kamikaze pilots, and the soldiers charging to their deaths yelling tennoheika banzai ("Long live the Emperor").
You're trying to give them some kind of credit for being bad at something.
Careful. I'm trying to do no such thing, and have given you no reason to think I am. All I'm doing is pointing out that the USA has no reason to seek more "payback" from Japan. IMHO they already got en
Poor Japanese (Score:3, Insightful)
Expecting respect from the current US government.
Re: Respond like an American (Score:3)
Swamp them with offensive counter memes which can be 100% correct characterizations of the idiot as well as portraying Americans as being like their dear leader, who they supported despite knowing he was scum.
Villains in most those shows are not as evil as our dictator, it's harming even them. I suggest using American "IP" for the counter measures because we have a wealth of fat, ugly, idiotic, evil characters to borrow from that might even be understood by the dictator as offensive. (Just do not pick stro
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Swamp them with offensive counter memes which can be 100%
that's actually what they're trying to copy/counter in the first place, it's been around for months: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
and like everything else so far ... it's not going well and blowing up in their face.
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That said you are right, they could take the gloves off on this issue. It could be pretty entertaining. However I think they are trying to take the moral high ground to avoid vindictive tariffs from a thin skinned trump who doesn't
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NO, Japan holds all the cards. To the point Trump just propped their money up by over 200 billion of tax payer money; because Japan holds the most US debt and would have caused more harm cashing in to fix their problem so the USA just took it up the ass to prevent Japan from having to do that. They could push him further but risk a senile moment where he forgets how weak he is and forces them to blow over the house of cards.
There is no taking the moral high ground in the USA anymore. The pigs only understa
"Obtaining permission from the copyright holder" (Score:2)
"When Cabinet Minister Kimi Onoda was asked about it in a June 12th press conference, she emphasized that 'obtaining permission from the copyright holder is the underlying principle for fair use.'"
Wait till everyone in Japan finds out that is not the case for fair use in the USA!
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Yeah, that's not what fair use means in US law. But I really doubt that a case could be made that this was fair use.
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Sure sounds like they would fail factors #3 and #4 here, and p
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Fair use as it applies to a political campaign has four main tests:
The purpose of the infringing use (must be transformative, which this is);
The nature of the work (creative, which this is, receives less protection than factual);
The amount of material and its importance in the original context (each infringement here is tiny); and
The impact on the market for the original work.
IMO
Re: "Obtaining permission from the copyright holde (Score:2)
"The purpose of the infringing use (must be transformative, which this is);"
No, that's not all purpose means. It's also whether it's for educational purposes, ior for critique, which are both valid reasons; or for profit, which is not. And since this whole presidency is a grift, there is undoubtedly a profit motive.
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Political campaigns are inherently informative (in a "free speech" sense) and non-profit. While commercial use matters in general, it'd be a seriously uphill battle to claim a profit motive - even if they're spewing disinformation and raking in the cash.
Re: "Obtaining permission from the copyright hold (Score:2)
Well then you messed up in two ways because the purpose of the use is relevant.
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I think the Japanese cabinet minister merely misspoke, without understanding the meaning of "fair use" in the USA.
Japan doesn't call it "fair use" but rather grants exceptions to copyright protections in highly specific situations. Basically it's apples and oranges. Too much detail to cover here, and I'm no expert, just someone who can read what Google Gemini tells me.
Pfffft (Score:2)
dumbass (Score:2)
Doesn't he know he's supposed to play the fiddle while he destroys his country?
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The nuclear option (Score:5, Interesting)
The Japanese government could simply sell off ALL of their US debt, flood the market, and tank the US economy. Even the chucklefucks in the current administration would be too busy trying to hold shit together to be posting AI slop on social media.
By doing that they would probably nuke their own economy; but it's already heading in that direction anyway, and pulling the rug out from under America might be short-term pain for long-term gain.
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