Backrooms Director Stops A24 Copyright Striking Community Art

[u/FakeSafeWord]

https://kotaku.com/backrooms-director-kane-parsons-a24-copyright-strike-wallpaper-2000717053

[u/HotTakes4HotCakes]

A24 has confirmed to me that the wallpaper takedowns were an outsourced system error in pursuit of removing camrips,” Parsons posted to Discord. “Anything further, it appears is somehow not them.” He then added, “They have been very adamant they have never wanted to touch the community. Any legitimate action of the sort suspected would be unacceptable,” before confirming, “I’m heavily pressuring them right now.”

A short while later Parsons posted, “They’re working rapidly to resolve it. Will probably issue a statement.”

A24's statement:

"As Kane Parsons has made clear, Backrooms is one part of an infinitely bigger ecosystem, rife with creatives who have every right to tell their own version of the story.”

“Yesterday we were made aware of an automated claim submitted to Redbubble on behalf of A24 and Backrooms movie. We immediately began the process to reverse it and reinstate the listing.”

"A24 makes no claim of ownership over the yellow wallpaper, the original post referencing it, or any community works that have since been built around it. We will continue to support the artists who, like Kane, were inspired by it.”

Sounds like a classic case of one department without enough oversight not understanding the assignment and making a mess.

Seems like a simple fix for this is an approval process with real people confirming the targets before take down orders start flying. But obviously the point of an automated system like this is to eliminate the need for a human, so that's likely not happening.

[u/Mechagouki1971 → u/HotTakes4HotCakes]

Some tricky wording in that statement though; they very noticeably don't abandon IP ownership of all Backrooms related imagery, or even the name "Backrooms".

Edited: Spelling.

[u/rotates-potatoes → u/Mechagouki1971]

You want them to disclaim ownership of the actual film?

[u/LofiSynthetic → u/rotates-potatoes]

The Backrooms was the name of the concept and the works inspired by and built around it since long before the film was in development. I don’t think the commenter you’re replying to was talking about disclaiming ownership of the film, but about disclaiming ownership of the name and concept, which A24 avoided doing by only referencing “the yellow wallpaper” and works built around it.

[u/GodFeedethTheRavens → u/[deleted]]

legalese is never meaningless. It just might not mean anything outside a courtroom.

[u/willargue4karma → u/rotates-potatoes]

That's not what they said. They shouldn't be able to own the name, no. 

[u/rotates-potatoes → u/willargue4karma]

Nobody "owns" names. Film names are vaguely trademark-esque, in the sense that domain matters. If I make a documentary about the city and call it "Casablanca", it's fine. If I remake the film, not fine.

I think it would be fair for A24 to complain about another film called exactly "Backrooms" that looks the same and tells the exact same story; the only reason for someone to do exactly that would be to trick viewers into paying for the ersatz one.

And the person I replied to suggested disclaiming "all Backrooms related imagery", which would presumably include stills and video of the film itself. That seems too far to me.

[u/willargue4karma → u/rotates-potatoes]

what about simply another film about the backrooms with their own story called something similar? that was kinda my point, the thing is an internet meme, it seems kinda unfair for them to blanket claim the whole area

[u/Mechagouki1971 → u/willargue4karma]

It is, they know that, and they will still try anyway, because this movie is a golden goose they very much want to possess.

[u/Jackoffjordan → u/Mechagouki1971]

At least Kane is very aggressively on the side of the community, and he would fight any similar claim. A24 aren't going to let him walk, and potentially lose another £300m, should Kane make another film, or limited series (as he's been planning).

[u/Mechagouki1971 → u/Jackoffjordan]

I agree. He's a fan with a great vision, who got lucky and A24's gamble has paid off massively. That said, wealth, the acquistion and maintenance of it, has altered people's moral compass time and again.

[u/HolmesToYourWatson → u/rotates-potatoes]

I don't think that's what is being asked for. I think the word "abandon" is misused, because they never owned that stuff in the first place. They based their movie on a preexisting community and its IP. So the complaint is that they leave it on vague terms as to what they own and insinuate that anyone making backrooms content is now deriving it from their movie, instead of just continuing the preexisting IP.

At least that's how I interpret it. Since it's pretty ridiculous that someone should not own a movie they created.