HBO said it had no advance notice that President Trump was planning to share an image about upcoming sanctions on Iran that alluded to HBO’s “Game of Thrones” tagline, “Winter is Coming.”
“We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes,” HBO said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
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HBO later asked on social media how to say “trademark misuse” in a fictional language used on the show.
How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?
— HBO (@HBO) November 2, 2018
On Friday, Trump shared an image of himself, with the words “Sanctions are coming. November 5.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2018
Two cast members — Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner, who play Arya and Sansa Stark — also reacted to the Trump tweet.
Not today. https://t.co/Jg51mGHPO1
— Maisie Williams (@Maisie_Williams) November 2, 2018
Ew
— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) November 2, 2018
Earlier Friday, the Trump administration revealed that sanctions would be reimposed against Iran Monday, a move that comes after the Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal under the Obama administration.
The 2015 deal put restraints on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions, but Trump said when announcing the U.S. was pulling out of the deal that the “highest level of economic sanction” would be imposed against Iran.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that several “jurisdictions” that import oil from Iran will be issued temporary waivers, including Italy, India, Japan, and South Korea, the Associated Press reports.
