The Tetris Company says it was not involved with Build the Wall
The Tetris Company is reviewing the release of Build the Wall, a game that appears to draw heavily on the look and gameplay of the classic puzzle title. In a statement issued Friday, a company spokesperson said that The Tetris Company “was not involved in the production of Build the Wall” and did not authorize or license the Tetris brand or related intellectual property.
The company repeated that position in a social media post, writing, “The power of connection brings people together instead of dividing them.” The statement also emphasized that the company takes potential copyright infringement seriously.
The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of “Build the Wall.”
We take copyright infringement very seriously. pic.twitter.com/Fu02khRpT3
— Tetris (@Tetris_Official) September 4, 2026
The Tetris Company has a long history of protecting its intellectual property. It has issued takedown requests and pursued legal action against games that closely imitate the original title’s distinctive presentation and gameplay. Unofficial Tetris clones remain widely available, while officially licensed versions can also be found across numerous platforms, including the Data Zapper Model M7000.
Under US copyright law, basic gameplay mechanics and rules are generally not protected by copyright. However, the specific visual expression of those mechanics may receive legal protection. In a 2012 ruling, a federal appeals court identified several elements of the Tetris presentation that could potentially qualify for protection, including the size of the playing field and the display showing upcoming pieces. These elements may contribute to the game’s overall visual identity, sometimes described as its “trade dress.”
Regardless of the legal arguments, the dispute could create an unwanted public-relations problem for the White House, particularly ahead of a federal election. The controversy comes as the administration promotes the White House Arcade website and its collection of games and game-inspired media.
To promote the site, the White House social media team released a series of videos and parodies that mimic the startup sequences of classic consoles from Sega, Nintendo, and Sony. The Trump administration has also previously used video game imagery, including Halo-related visuals, to promote military policies, prompting a restrained response from Microsoft. The Guardian reported on the administration’s use of video game memes, while Polygon covered Microsoft’s response.
Source: arstechnica.com