This is how you remind me of copyright law.
In a story that would have seemed ridiculous five years ago but is now just another Wednesday, Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America, used a meme involving Canadian rock band Nickelback to mock former-Vice President Joe Biden. “LOOK AT THIS PHOTOGRAPH!” the tweet reads, complete with a video of lead singer Chad Kroeger holding a picture of Biden, his son Hunter, and a Ukrainian gas company board member, a reference to the presidential candidate’s alleged Ukraine connections.
I’d say “see below,” but you can’t — the video has been removed.
LOOK AT THIS PHOTOGRAPH! pic.twitter.com/QQYTqG4KTt
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2019
“This media has been disabled in response to a report by the copyright owner,” the notice reads with the Hill reporting that Twitter deleted the clip on “Wednesday night following a copyright claim from the band… Twitter removed the video within 12 hours of the president posting it.” This is the first time Trump has dipped into mid-2000s memes, but not the first time he’s been censored for infringing copyright on Twitter:
In April, a campaign advert, scored with the soundtrack to the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises, was removed following a takedown notice from copyright holder Warner Bros.
Even though it was Twitter that removed the video, possibly under the insistence of the band’s record label Warner Bros., Nickelback — the best-selling rock band of the 2000s — is still being hailed on social media as the leaders of the resistance. Nickelback!
Nickelback had Trump's video taken down for copyright infringement.😂
Trump got owned by Nickelback as the entire world laughs.
If that's not worthy of impeachment, I don't know what is. pic.twitter.com/Xaa80pujTM
— The Darkest Timeline Numbersmuncher (@NumbersMuncher) October 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/darth/status/1179735226748035072
"Nickelback sent the President of the United States a takedown request" is truly one of the most epic sentences in the English language. https://t.co/YpQ2obDR7Q
— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) October 3, 2019
Let's salute our new national heroes, um… *checks notes* …Nickelback.
— Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson) October 3, 2019
omg omg omg Nickelback had Twitter take down Trump’s Photograph tweet for copyright violation omg omg omg pic.twitter.com/q3Ztlfex6C
— David Mack (@davidmackau) October 3, 2019
As I predicted, @realDonaldTrump appears to be the first American President to be dissed by @Nickelback. pic.twitter.com/vuN1J3FJGq
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) October 3, 2019
Ladies & gentlemen, I regret to inform you that the President of the United States has been CANCELED by Nickelback. pic.twitter.com/owPo9eaJhS
— siraj hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) October 3, 2019
Is there anything more pathetic than violating copyright law with a pinned Nickelback tweet pic.twitter.com/ip5jksa0aO
— Fred Delicious 🍆 (@Fred_Delicious) October 3, 2019
Well, if you had “Nickelback invokes trademark infringement to remove a parody video posted by the president to Twitter,” on your 2019 bingo card, today is your day. pic.twitter.com/gxZyvIsUQD
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) October 3, 2019
How to go from most mocked band ever to political rock hero status in one legal maneuver.
Well played, Nickelback. pic.twitter.com/Whw60L1Yjp— Julie Cohen (@FilmmakerJulie) October 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/AndyBCampbell/status/1179684677990387712
Wait until Trump discovers the “One Does Not Simply” meme. Then it’s over.