The best-selling video game of all time claps back at White House rip-off as potential legal action looms

The media machine at the White House is a fascinating but sometimes baffling one. As President Donald Trump returned to office for his second term, he wasn't going to let the fact that he was the oldest elected president stop him from proving he's down with the kids.

Away from launching his own meme coin and continuing to post AI slop on his social media feed, the tech-savvy POTUS' administration attempts to appeal to younger generations with a deluge of pop culture posts.

There seems to be a continued obsession with gaming, with no IP being off-limits. This started with backlash against displaying Donald Trump as Halo's Master Chief and has since extended to homaging everything from Pokemon to Animal Crossing, with calls for Rockstar Games to sue over a Grand Theft Auto parody.

We know Nintendo is especially litigious when it comes to being mocked, and with politics being such a contentious issue, it's clear to see why major brands might not want to be associated with any side of the political spectrum.

Trump administration under fire from Tetris

Potential legal action doesn't seem to bother the White House, which has now launched its own whitehouse.gov/arcade site where you can play an array of pixelated games that are inspired by Flappy Bird, Tetris, and Snake.

As only the government can do, these aren't standard video games, with complaints that some are pushing a 'racist' agenda through the likes of a Snake-inspired border patrol of the Mexican border.

Many might not know that Tetris is the best-selling game of all time, and having shifted over 520 million units since its first arrived on the scene in 1988, the blocky builder is a pop culture phenomenom.

So, when the best-selling game of all time is ripped off for a government arcade where you're supposed to build a wall across Mexico, you can bet those in charge take note.

In a charged post on Instagram, the Tetris Copmany has clapped back against the unauthorized use of its likeness and threatened legal action at the same time.

The post started: "At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them. To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we're grateful to have you in our community."

There are then two caveats of, "P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of 'Build the Wall'," with an added zinger of: "P.P.S. We take copyright infringement very seriously."

Why video games are avoiding legal action

Of course, Tetris isn't the only gaming giant being mocked here, with SEGA's iconic logo revamped as 'MAGA' for the site, and trailers mimicking the Xbox and PlayStation boot-up sequences.

While these are obvious rip-offs, Forbes warns that suing might not be as simple due to U.S. copyright laws being unable to protect game mechanics like stacking bricks.

Importantly, arcade.gov uses its own pixel art and simply recreates the mechanics instead of pulling from Tetris' original source code.

Even though SEGA might have a stronger claim due to a clear parody of its artwork, suing the federal government apparently involves 'complex sovereign immunity hurdles', meaning a potential takedown wouldn't be quick.

Political satire and public commentary typically fall under 'fair use', and even if that doesn't apply, it would cost a pretty penny for gaming companies to find out.

The outlet suggests that companies are best staying out of things so as to avoid backlash from Trump supporters, as well as the White House itself.

As multinational corporations like Microsoft, SEGA, and Sony rely on antitrust approvals from the government, they're advised to keep their heads below the parapet and simply try to distance themselves from this messaging.

In something of a Streisand effect, the fact that Tetris has clapped back so vocally means it's in danger of the White House or the president amplifying the message with their own response.

Going up against the White House over a low-stakes web game that creates little commercial revenue seems like a fool's errand, so for Tetris and the rest, it might be a case of sucking this one up.

Still, many have applauded the Tetris Company for standing its ground.