Key facts
- The White House used the educational characters Tim and Moby in a video featuring MAGA hats.
- BrainPOP, the company behind the characters, responded by posting a video explaining copyright.
- The White House video was removed from X but remains on other platforms.
- Copyright law experts suggest BrainPOP could file a DMCA takedown notice.
The White House recently posted a video featuring the educational cartoon characters Tim and Moby wearing MAGA hats and criticizing the Department of Education. In response, BrainPOP, the company that created the characters, posted its own video on X explaining copyright law, which has garnered millions of views. Experts in copyright law suggest that BrainPOP has legal options, including filing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown request with social media platforms hosting the White House video. While a lawsuit could potentially seek monetary damages, a DMCA request might be a more direct route for content removal, as injunctions against the government are difficult to obtain. The White House video was subsequently removed from X, though it remains available on other platforms. This incident follows previous instances where the Trump administration has faced legal challenges over the use of copyrighted material in political messaging.