X

Pepe the Frog creator sues Alex Jones' Infowars

The artist behind the image argues Infowars is violating his copyright for Pepe.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng
pepe.jpg

Pepe the Frog was killed off in Matt Furie's latest comic.

Matt Furie/ Tumblr

The controversial legacy of the Pepe the Frog meme won't die -- despite the best efforts of its creator.

Artist Matt Furie filed a lawsuit against Alex Jones and Free Speech Systems LLC, the company behind his "Infowars" show. Furie's lawsuit claims that Jones and his show is violating his copyright for Pepe. 

Ars Technica first reported on the suit

The legal action is the latest step Furie has taken to wringing back Pepe the Frog from white supremacists, who co-opted it into a hate symbol. He even killed off the comic-book character in a single strip. 

A spokesman for Infowars was not immediately available for comment.