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Tetris Rejects White House Use
The Tetris Company said on Sept 4 that it did not give permission for the White House to use the game’s iconic imagery for a controversial online arcade that the Trump administration released on Sept 3.
“The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall’”
In a statement to AFP, Tetris said, “The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall’ and did not authorise or licence the Tetris brand or intellectual property for the game,” and added, “We are currently reviewing the matter.”
The White House released several games on Sept 3 on an official website page called “arcade,” including a block-stacking title called “Build the Wall” with instructions to “protect the border from the coming horde.”
The arcade-style games and promotional content used by the Trump administration contain images that resemble games created by Tetris and other major game developers including Sega and Xbox, according to the Straits Times.
The White House said Sept 3 in a statement to AFP, “This administration is laser focused on ways to innovate and tell the story of the President’s many accomplishments in a way that resonates with every American,” as the games sparked questions about potential copyright violations.
Criticism and Legal Threats
Rights groups criticized the White House’s arcade games, with Amerika Garcia Grewal, co-director of the Frontera Federation in Eagle Pass, Texas, telling AFP, “Makes me sick. They’ve been playing games with people’s lives for years, now they’ve made a video game of what they’re doing.”
In response to the backlash, Tetris posted on social media that it “takes copyright infringement very seriously,” and the company spokesperson told PEOPLE that Tetris “was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall,’” and that it “take[s] copyright infringement very seriously.”
The White House’s promotional post on X for the arcade included “CAN’T STOP WINNING. 🎮Build the wall. Deport. Fill a Trump Account,” and ended with “MAGA,” in text used in the logo for Japanese gaming company SEGA, according to People.
Engadget reported that Tetris reiterated it “did not authorize or license the Tetris brand or intellectual property” for Build the Wall when asked to comment, and said the company was “currently reviewing the matter.”
Courthouse News described the White House’s “Arcade.gov” description for Build the Wall as “Protect the border from the coming horde,” while noting that the Tetris Company threatened the White House with copyright infringement and said it was “not involved” in the Trump version.
What’s at Stake Next
The White House arcade page, launched on Thursday Sept 3, drew attention for games that prompt users to “protect the border from the coming horde” and for other titles that include “Rio Run,” where users “patrol the line” along the Rio Grande and “pick up every crosser in the lot” to earn a high score of deportations.
“It's pretty clear to me that some of these games tread pretty closely”
Scripps News reported that the White House official told CNN, “this is an effort to further contrast between a culture of fun and winning and the dark socialist vision Democrats have for America,” as players posted scores on X.
The Tetris Company’s distancing from Build the Wall centers on whether the White House’s use of Tetris-like gameplay and branding could create intellectual property concerns, with Newsweek quoting Duke University School of Law professor Christopher Buccafusco saying, “It's pretty clear to me that some of these games tread pretty closely to the intellectual property rights of famous video game companies.”
Buccafusco also argued that trademark law parody defenses were unlikely, saying, “the White House isn't trying to say anything about Sega or any of the other famous games. It's simply using Sega's mark to get attention.”
While the White House arcade remained online, the Tetris Company said it was “currently reviewing the matter,” leaving open whether it will pursue legal action as the administration continues to use the arcade format to promote President Donald Trump’s policy agenda.