What’s Going on with the Backrooms?

 

I have an artist account on Redbubble where I upload random images that I’ve created myself. Yesterday an email was sent to me by Redbubble stating they took down two images that are related to the Backrooms. 

WTF! Those images are not in anyway related to the Backrooms movie. 

Technically, those images are from one of my books that are loosely related to the Backrooms, published in 2023, before the movie came out. 

So what's really going on? Can A24 copyright the word: Backrooms?

No, the word "backrooms" itself is not copyrighted. You cannot copyright individual words, titles, or general concepts and the core concept and aesthetic of the Backrooms (endless, empty, yellow-wallpapered rooms) are largely considered public domain and cannot be copyrighted.

The original premise of "clipping out of reality" into a labyrinth of empty office spaces originated from an anonymous post on 4chan. Because it was an anonymous, uncredited post, the foundational concept itself is in the public domain.

The Wikis: Community-built Backrooms lore (such as specific "Levels," "Entities," and stories) hosted on major platforms like the Backrooms Wiki is typically released under a Creative Commons (CC BY-SA) license. This means you can use or build upon the lore, as long as you credit the original creators and share your work under the same license.

Specific Original Works: While anyone can make a Backrooms story, specific creative expressions are legally protected. For example, the visual style, specific characters, and lore created by Kane Parsons for his The Backrooms movie and found-footage series are protected.

(Yes, that’s true but other people create various literature, videos, and images related to the Backrooms lore. Is that now off limits?)

The base concept of the Backrooms and everything said in the 4chan post falls into public domain as it was anonymous, and no one can claim it with proofs.

 So, there you have it, once again, I am writing this so everyone who had something taken down recently on a social media platform-for using the word, Backrooms, can see that using the Backrooms in your literature or anywhere else should NOT be illegal.

I'm not sure if I will confront Redbubble about what happened. Both images are mine, but they weren't exactly high-quality. Either way, it's concerning because thousands of other authors have written books using some elements pulled from the backrooms lore. Artwork, media creators, should be pissed off too. 

The Backrooms Creator?

Backrooms: A Concerning Situation

My Website

The Backrooms Creator?

 

With all the excitement surrounding Kane Pixel's upcoming Backrooms movie, it's easy to overlook the fact that he didn't actually create the Backrooms lore.

No one really owns the Backrooms. Here’s a breakdown of the copyright status of The Backrooms:

The initial 4chan post and the original image of The Backrooms are considered to be in the public domain, as they were posted anonymously and have been treated as free for anyone to use.

Most of the expanded lore and user-generated content, particularly on wikis like the Backrooms Wiki on Wikidot, is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (CC-BY-SA). This means you can create your own stories. 

The core IDEA is free for anyone to expand upon (often under CC-BY-SA), but specific, original adaptations, like in books, media & movies are protected and copyrighted. I am not throwing shade on Kane Pixel’s creativity; I am only stating the facts when it comes to the Backrooms. Please feel free to comment if you wish. I will go see the movie since everything Backrooms fascinates me.

NOTE: A24 has the copyright to their movie, but not the actual word, The Backrooms since the word and the concept of the Backrooms is an internet creepy pasta and it's origin is unknown. Thousands of people have created videos, literature and other media involving the Backrooms. If A24 suddenly started asking social media platforms to remove everything related to the backrooms, they would be alienating half of the Backrooms fans. The fans are what made the whole concept popular!

(Images in this blog are for the readers' entertainment only)

MY WEBSITE

The Backrooms

 

Once again, I have to reiterate that certain elements of the Backrooms, such as the game Backrooms: Realm of Shadows and the Backrooms logo, are indeed copyrighted.

 However, the concept/idea of the Backrooms itself isn’t owned by any individual. This lack of a single owner makes it challenging to differentiate between genuine narratives and fan-created stories, as ideas themselves cannot be copyrighted. 

The Backrooms, technically is a creation of the fan community, with numerous individuals contributing through books, videos, and artwork inspired by this intriguing concept of the Backrooms. 

So, when someone claims that Kane Pixel holds the copyright to the Backrooms, that's a misconception. 

He has copyright to his unique interpretation of the Backrooms, including the videos he produces and his YouTube channel. However, the original idea of the Backrooms predates Kane Pixel's work. In reality, his channel serves as a fanfiction platform centered around the Backrooms. Much like other fan based art, literature & videos.  Overall, do your research and kudos to the creative fans who contributed to the Backrooms lore. 

NOTE: A24 has the copyright to their movie, but not the actual word, The Backrooms since the word and the concept of the Backrooms is an internet creepy pasta and it's origin is unknown. Thousands of people have created videos, literature and other media involving the Backrooms. If A24 suddenly started asking social media platforms to remove everything related to the backrooms, they would be alienating half of the Backrooms fans. The fans are what made the whole concept popular!

(Images used in this blog are for the readers' entertainment only)

Linktree

The Backrooms: What Part is Copyrighted 

The Backrooms: Who Really Owns the Rights to it?

 

As far as I’m concerned it is an urban legend, created by various unknown people. It was based on a picture posted on 4Chan a few years ago, before the pandemic but the picture that started it all appeared online as far back as 2012, or so it is rumored. Writers have written stories about the Backrooms and people have written Fanfiction & made indie games related to the Backrooms. 

Someone had posted on an anonymous site, asking if Kane Pixel owns the rights to the Backrooms because he created videos on YouTube. He has created his own mini mythology through a highly successful YouTube series. The key words are, created his OWN mini mythology, much like everyone else who has created their own stories based on the Backrooms.

 I'm an author and I’ve written two books loosely based on the Backrooms and so have other authors. The Backrooms is open for interpretation & can be used to create stories and videos by anyone. A24 has the copyright to their movie, but not the actual word, The Backrooms since the word and the concept of the Backrooms is an internet creepy pasta and it's origin is unknown. Thousands of people have created videos, literature and other media involving the Backrooms. If A24 suddenly started asking social media platforms to remove everything related to the backrooms, they would be alienating half of the Backrooms fans. The fans are what made the whole concept popular!

Where did the picture of the Backrooms come from?

No one knows but that’s the part of it, a mystery that will never be solved. 

MY Website

Lost in the Backrooms: The Phoenix Files vol. 1

(Images in this blog are for the readers' entertainment only)