Director Kane Parsons has stepped in to address A24's apparent copyright strikes against community-created art inspired by the Backrooms, confirming that the actions were a mistake stemming from an automated system error. The intervention comes after widespread concern that the film company was overreaching by targeting fan creations made before the movie's production.
The issue first gained significant attention on July 15 when a Reddit user reported receiving a takedown request from A24 for Backrooms-inspired artwork featuring the distinctive yellow flock wallpaper. This sparked debate, as the Backrooms originated as an internet creepypasta and has a long history of community-driven content creation. The situation escalated as other creators claimed that fan films produced prior to the A24 movie were also being targeted.
Parsons, director of the recent horror film based on the popular creepypasta, publicly stated on Reddit that he was investigating the matter. He later shared information via Discord, which has been corroborated by moderators of his public server, detailing A24's response. According to Parsons, the wallpaper takedowns were part of an "outsourced system error in pursuit of removing camrips." He emphasized that A24 had "never wanted to touch the community" and that any legitimate action of that nature would be unacceptable.
Parsons indicated he was actively pressuring A24 to resolve the situation. Subsequently, A24 issued a statement via the official Backrooms Instagram channel acknowledging the error and clarifying that the claims were submitted to Redbubble by a third-party firm. The company affirmed its understanding that "Backrooms is one part of an infinitely bigger ecosystem, rife with creatives who have every right to tell their own version of the story."
A24 stated that it has no claim of ownership over the yellow wallpaper, its initial online references, or subsequent community works. The company plans to continue supporting artists inspired by the concept. The situation highlights the complexities of intellectual property when dealing with internet-native folklore and the potential for errors within automated content moderation systems.