Pepe the Frog's Creator Goes Legally Nuclear - Avatar Issues?

Hi ATS Board,

I just saw this article on Motherboard.com. I don't know if you knew about this... Please let the Bosses know.

Motherboard Article re: Pepe the Frog's Creator goes Legally Nuclear

Pepe the Frog creator Matt Furie has made good on his threat to "aggressively enforce his intellectual property."

The artist's lawyers have taken legal action against the alt-right. They have served cease and desist orders to several alt-right personalities and websites including Richard Spencer, Mike Cernovich, and the r/the_Donald subreddit. In addition, they have issued Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown requests to Reddit and Amazon, notifying them that use of Pepe by the alt-right on their platforms is copyright infringement. The message is to the alt-right is clear—stop using Pepe the Frog or prepare for legal consequences.

a reply to: AboveBoard

Wait.. so if you're a lefty, it's A-OKAY?

a reply to: knowledgehunter0986

I don't know the answer to that - but the Left isn't generally using Pepe. I'm guessing he's going for blanket copyright protection 100%, and going after the sites that use it most frequently. I don't think it's "safe" for "the left" to take Pepe images over, but he is specifically reacting to memes that have political content not intended by the creation of the character. His character was taken over and used, and he's tired of it. He has rights as its creator.

I'm going to check my image uploads and see if I have any Pepe there and remove them pronto.

I hope people take it seriously. I don't think he's playing around.

- AB

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: AboveBoard

Wait.. so if you're a lefty, it's A-OKAY?

Copyright infringement is ever ok?

a reply to: AboveBoard

I'd guestimate there are several millions, if not more "Pepe's" floating around the web. From originals, to customized, to altered and everything in between.

Good luck to them!!

This will only fuel the hardcore Pepe userbase.. or whatever.

a reply to: AboveBoard

Too late. KEK has risen. The PEPE the Frog meme will stand as an exalted symbol of truth and light forever.

Let us bask in the unconditional love and glory of KEK. Praise be.

a reply to: OwenandNoelle

Really?

Chaos Gods are rarely "love and light..."

originally posted by: AboveBoard
Hi ATS Board,

I just saw this article on Motherboard.com. I don't know if you knew about this... Please let the Bosses know.

Motherboard Article re: Pepe the Frog's Creator goes Legally Nuclear

Pepe the Frog creator Matt Furie has made good on his threat to "aggressively enforce his intellectual property."

The artist's lawyers have taken legal action against the alt-right. They have served cease and desist orders to several alt-right personalities and websites including Richard Spencer, Mike Cernovich, and the r/the_Donald subreddit. In addition, they have issued Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown requests to Reddit and Amazon, notifying them that use of Pepe by the alt-right on their platforms is copyright infringement. The message is to the alt-right is clear—stop using Pepe the Frog or prepare for legal consequences.

Oh, suddenly a liberal has a problem with symbology being taken outbid context (confederate flags, statues, etc). Maybe instead we should call him racist, harass his employers and family members, and burn down his neighborhood.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: AboveBoard

I'd guestimate there are several millions, if not more "Pepe's" floating around the web. From originals, to customized, to altered and everything in between.

Good luck to them!!

I'm sure you are correct, that is why he is having his lawyers go after entire websites or sub reddit, etc. He knows.

a reply to: bender151

Hi bender.

Are you speaking to me personally, or to the creator of the Pepe image?

My only desire in bringing this to the attention of ATS was to prevent legal problems for the owners and members of the site.

originally posted by: bender151
Oh, suddenly a liberal has a problem with symbology being taken outbid context (confederate flags, statues, etc).

Even if I was politically aligned with whomever was using my intellectual property if I weren't being paid for it I wouldn't be copacetic with them using the property.

a reply to: bender151

Anyone should have a problem with copyright infringement. Nothing to do with liberals.

a reply to: AboveBoard

Everyone should quit using Pepe the Frog--for anything and everything.

Here are the letters the lawyers sent out to people/organizations...

Motherboard.com - Lawyer Letters re: Pepe

Motherboard has obtained copies of those letters, which we've published below. As a condition for publishing the letters, Motherboard agreed to redact contact information for everyone except for Furie's lawyer, who provided them to us.


Each letter is different and references different URLs, podcasts, and products, but the tone is always the same—Pepe The Frog does not belong to the alt-right and the recipient's abuse and profit of him must end.

"Your use of Pepe the Frog in connection with your promotion of hate is unauthorized and unacceptable," the letters sent to Spencer, Cernovich, and Alaska said. "Pepe is a peaceful frog who represents togetherness and fun—not hate."

Furie's legal team makes clear that Furie plans to ask Spencer, Cernovich, and Baked Alaska for money in addition to demanding they stop using Pepe's image: "After we have received confirmation that you have ceased infringement, we will contact you to discuss what additional information we need from you to calculate the appropriate amount of damages," the letters read.

Many, though not all, of the URLs referenced in the letters are now dead. Mike Cernovich and Baked Alaska in particular seem to have quickly complied. Cernovich, Spencer, and Alaska did not immediately respond to request for comment.

originally posted by: bender151
Oh, suddenly a liberal has a problem with symbology being taken outbid context (confederate flags, statues, etc). Maybe instead we should call him racist, harass his employers and family members, and burn down his neighborhood.

Confederate flags are in the public domain. Pepe the Frog is someones IP that was hijacked for a far right political movement, and screws someone out of their commercial property.

Topic source.

Update: Several people who received legal threats from Matt Furie say they will fight back. Read our update—The Great Meme War II: Amid Lawsuit Threats, the Alt-Right Says Pepe Belongs to Them.

So, people steal someone's intellectual property and claim it as their own and expect to be taken seriously and even prevail legally. Good luck with that.

When Hauser agreed to settle out of court, I spoke with Furie's lawyers who told me they would use the Hauser settlement as a springboard to go after anyone else who profited from or misused Pepe. It appears they've made good on that promise.

Looks like "profited from" is the key phrase here. I'd expect many out of court settlements no matter how much chest thumping they do. It's like stealing your neighbors car, being caught red handed on their security camera and claiming it's now your car because you stole it.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Everyone should quit using Pepe the Frog--for anything and everything.

That would be the smart thing to do!

a reply to: Blaine91555

Yeah - I don't think an individual ATS member here would be in danger BUT if the case were made that ATS was some how making money off the site and members were using Pepe as an avatar...?? Who knows. I don't think ATS is a big fish in this fry, so to speak.

I don't know - seems like a stretch to me, but the legal issue was of potential concern. The copyright is being infringed upon by anyone who uses it without permission.

Guess we need to put PePe inside the "[ ex ]" tags now with a source link.