A24 has issued a statement clarifying the numerous takedown notices filed on behalf of its brand after Backrooms director Kane Parsons promised he’d investigate.
A24 published their statement via Instagram on July 17, just two days after Parsons responded to a Reddit post from a user claiming their wallpaper pattern had been pulled from Redbubble over copyright infringement.
“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,” they wrote.
“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 listings. A24 makes no claim of ownership over the yellow wallpaper, the original post referencing it, or any of the community works that have since been built around it. We will continue to support the artists who, like Kane, were inspired by it.”
This marks the end of a frustrating saga for affected Backrooms fans, who saw all manner of works restricted due to these automated copyright claims. One indie developer stated their Backrooms-inspired game had been pulled from the Google Play store due to the issue, while others had artwork of liminal office spaces taken down by Redbubble on behalf of “A24 LLC.”
Parsons had previously promised to look into these issues, both on Reddit and his Discord server. Recent messages show Parsons surmising that the cause of these takedown notices was likely he result of “confusion and poor communication” internally and a “third-party system error” in regards to the Redbubble items.
The other notices on different platforms, he says, were “seemingly just coincidences and bad timing,” and stated that he does not believe the matter points to a “narrative that [A24] is going on a copyright spree.”
“They’re very much on the side of the community over here,” he wrote. “They have been insistent since day one on keeping the community protected, as it always has been.”
Parson’s Backrooms film was a big hit at the box office, earning $375 million against a $10 million budget. IGN gave the flick an 8/10, with Lex Briscuso saying, “Kane Parsons blends superb visuals and excellent characterization with the lore of the Backrooms to create a terrifying and thrilling big-screen debut for the liminal horror classic.”
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
