A24 vs Backrooms Content Copyright Dispute

The world of liminal horror—the haunting, atmospheric genre inspired by the Backrooms aesthetic—has recently collided with the cold, hard reality of corporate copyright law. Creators working within this niche have found themselves facing unexpected legal hurdles, receiving takedown notices directly from major studios, including A24 Films LLC, the production company behind one of the year’s biggest cinematic hits.

This situation highlights a fascinating tension: the vastness of creative fandom versus the rigid systems of intellectual property. While fans have built an expansive universe of inspired artwork, games, and content based on the Backrooms concept, large corporations are now stepping in to enforce their claims.

The enforcement is not theoretical; it’s hitting actual artists and developers. For instance, user GnarlyNet detailed how their art received a copyright strike on commercial platforms like Redbubble. The artwork was inspired by the original 2019 Backrooms image, leading to legal complications for those working in this creative space.

The pressure is systemic. Indie teams are also feeling the squeeze. Davilkus Games, an indie group developing a liminal horror game project, reportedly accumulated three copyright strikes within the month. This action ultimately resulted in their Google Play developer account being banned from the platform—a heavy consequence for small creators.

This mass enforcement suggests that A24 is deploying automated systems to protect its intellectual property. While protecting a specific movie is legally sound, this approach risks stifling the organic creative movement that thrives on inspiration and fan creation, especially within an already fluid genre.

The Backrooms itself has proven to be a cultural phenomenon, launching earlier this year to become a box office smash, reportedly generating nearly 375 million in revenue from a relatively modest $10 million budget. Yet, even as the genre grows, the focus remains on the specific source material rather than the creative ecosystem it spawned.

Director Kane Parsons, who is associated with the Backrooms franchise, has publicly addressed these issues, stating that he is actively investigating the situation and expressed surprise at the mass strikes, noting that such enforcement should not be occurring. He emphasized that the genre itself does not belong to any single entity, pointing out the multitude of fan projects that exist.

Parsons also weighed in on the broader industry drama, suggesting that resources would be better allocated elsewhere, as he indicated those funds would not be spent on Backrooms sequels. Looking forward, Parsons is reportedly eyeing a new cinematic project based on Valve’s Portal game, aiming to explore a different kind of portal adventure for his next endeavor.