The Creator Of Pepe The Frog Is Suing InfoWars
Original Article | Author: AJ Willingham
Pepe the frog, the once-innocent cartoon that was appropriated as a mascot of the alt-right, is at the center of a new legal battle.
Matt Furie, the character's creator is suing InfoWars, the media company helmed by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
In the lawsuit, filed Monday, Furie alleges copyright infringement stemming from a stylized poster sold on the Infowars website. The $29.95 poster features a depiction of Pepe alongside other MAGA "heroes" drawn by artist Jon Allen, including Donald Trump, Roger Stone, Milo Yiannopoulos, Ann Coulter and Jones himself.
"The establishment wants this taken down," the description of the poster reads. "Instead, celebrate the historic victory and frame this conversation starter in your home!''
According to the civil complaint, "Furie did not authorize the use of the Pepe image or character in this poster, and does not approve of the association of Pepe with Alex Jones or any of the other figures shown in this poster, or the 'MAGA' slogan."
In an audio statement published on the InfoWars YouTube channel, Jones calls the lawsuit "frivolous" and part of a larger attempt by media outlets to make Infowars "public enemy number one."
"We did not create the posters, that are protected speech, that are transformative," Jones says, stating the use of the frog in an item for sale "is 100% protected by the courts, protected by the first amendment, protected by fair use."
