The Division of Protection is seemingly no match for the notoriously litigious Metallica. A social media video selling the division’s drone capabilities — set to the band’s traditional monitor “Enter Sandman”— was rapidly pulled after X (previously Twitter) acquired a copyright discover from Metallica. The DoD subsequently uploaded a brand new model sans “Enter Sandman.”
“This afternoon, representatives from X reached out to DoD relating to a video posted to our social media web page and requested that the video be eliminated on account of a copyright situation with the track ‘Enter Sandman’ by Metallica. The video has been taken down, corrected, and re-uploaded to our web page,” a Pentagon spokesman mentioned in a press release on Friday.
A consultant for Metallica confirmed to Rolling Stone that the usage of “Enter Sandman” was unauthorized.
Donald Trump has a protracted historical past of enjoying artists’ music at rallies and occasions with out their specific permission. Nonetheless, he’s largely averted authorized penalties as a result of both his marketing campaign or the venues internet hosting his occasions sometimes maintain public efficiency licenses from rights organizations like ASCAP and BMI. These licenses permit for the usage of many copyrighted songs in stay settings, however they don’t lengthen to authorities entities just like the Division of Protection, nor do they cowl on-line use—resembling posting movies with copyrighted music on social media—which requires separate synchronization or mechanical licenses.
Unleashing U.S. Army Drone Dominance @DOGE pic.twitter.com/esaQtswwDb
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— Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) July 11, 2025