Beloved Canadian Turtle Turned into Political Commentary Through Copyright Infringement

By Amarra Bumactao, Arts Law Volunteer 

It’s the holiday season and in this time of year, kids typically write down all the gifts they would like to receive. They then send their wish list off to Santa, hoping they might get a surprise under the tree on Christmas Day. Some kids wish for a new action figurine, a doll and maybe a dollhouse to go with it, and some wish to have some books to read during the holidays. 

But be wary, because on 1 December 2025, a post was made on X (formerly Twitter) by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth captioned: “For your Christmas wish list…” featuring an AI generated picture saying, ‘Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists’. The image depicted a beloved Canadian turtle, Franklin the Turtle, standing on a helicopter while firing a bazooka into a boat filled with packages and a man wielding a gun. This Tweet has garnered mixed reactions on X. Users have variously responded with negative critiques, and with support for Hegseth, in the sense that it’s inspired them to create their own AI generated “memes”. Examples include: ‘Franklin on Trial at the ICC’, ‘Franklin Goes to the Hague’ and ‘Franklin is A War Criminal’. 

While making a crude joke out of an AI generated illustration, the post at issue highlights the current American political climate, and both embodies and illustrates the rampant use of generative AI and consequent mass copyright infringement. 

This is because Franklin the Turtle was originally created by author Paulette Bourgeois and was illustrated by artist Brenda Clark. This turtle is often seen with a red handkerchief and baseball cap. He teaches kids about “kindness, empathy and inclusivity” since his debut in 1986.  Titles include, ‘Franklin Goes to School’ and ‘Franklin Wants a Pet’. Seeing how this icon has been inappropriately used through generative AI, a spokesperson from publisher, Kids Can Press, states: 

“We strongly condemn any denigrating, violent, or unauthorized use of Franklin’s name or image, which directly contradicts these values.”

Hegseth’s post was made in the wake of criticism against him following a Washington Post report that alleged he ordered another round of strikes against an alleged drug vessel. The US issued these strikes against alleged “narcoterrorists” based in Latin America. The US didn’t release any information as to who was aboard the vessel nor did they have evidence to prove those boats were holding drugs. After initially denying the strikes, the White House confirmed the second set of strikes were made off Venezuela “in self-defence, “in accordance” with laws governing armed conflict. The White House claimed that Adm. Mitch Bradley, who was leading the Joint Special Operations Command at the time, was the one to conduct the strikes. The report made by The Washington Post criticised Hesgeth’s actions and it seems, prompted him to generate an image of Franklin the Turtle in a way that would allow him to distract or offset any negative criticism he received. Whether or not the use of the image amounts to copyright infringement via use of generative AI, it might also be seen as a cautionary tale about what you write down on your wish list this holiday; you might not like what you’re going to get…