A recent video posted by the United States’ Department of Homeland Security, featuring audio and art from the Pokemon series, was made without permission from The Pokemon Company, the company has now confirmed.
In a statement to Eurogamer, The Pokemon Company responded to the controversial video, which has been viewed tens of millions of times across various social media platforms, and which has been flooded with comments from users asking Nintendo – famously litigious and protective of its IP – to sue the DHS.
“We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand,” the statement reads. “Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.”
Here in the post-parody world we find ourselves in, the DHS posted a 60-second montage of law enforcement, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and seemingly other agents arresting or detaining people.
The video is set to the opening theme song of the original Pokemon anime, and was captioned, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” in apparent reference to the department’s escalating campaign targeting immigrants in America.
“Department of Homeland Security,” written in the Pokemon series’ iconic blue-and-yellow lettering, appears near the start of the video.
In a series of follow-up posts, the DHS shared apparent mugshots that had been edited into parodies of Pokemon trading cards. One accused person is listed as having an “ice” elemental weakness in clear allusion to the government’s ICE department.
Original Pokemon anime protagonist Ash Ketchum is also briefly shown in the DHS video. The cameo is unrealistic, of course; Ash would have gotten used to receiving warm welcomes while traveling through so many Pokemon regions, and would’ve also grown accustomed to free medical care throughout his journey, so he surely wouldn’t be in a rush to visit America.
