SCP Foundation Slams A24 Over Alleged Exclusive Rights to V/H/S: SCP Film

Yesterday the internet buzzed with news that A24, the indie‑film powerhouse, was gearing up to produce a V/H/S anthology entry set in the SCP universe. The project, tentatively titled V/H/S: SCP, was announced as a collaboration with Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Studios, and the trade press called it a “worldwide rights” deal.

Only hours later the SCP Foundation – the collective of volunteers who maintain the open‑source horror wiki – fired back. In an official statement the foundation’s staff said they had never been contacted, let alone consulted, by the filmmakers, producers, or distributors. “A24 does not and cannot have any exclusive rights to anything related to the SCP Foundation,” the statement read.

Why does this matter? All the SCP entries, characters, and the whole lore are released under a Creative Commons Attribution‑ShareAlike 3.0 license (CC BY‑SA 3.0). In plain English that means anyone can remix, sell, or stream the material, but they have to keep the same license terms – no DRM, no paywalls, and certainly no claim that the work is owned exclusively.

In practice the foundation says that A24 would be forced to let anyone upload the finished film to YouTube, or stream it on any platform, without paying royalties. “Anyone could upload a copy to YouTube for free,” the statement added, almost as if to remind A24 of a rule they apparently missed.

The legal nit‑picking feels a little dry, but it’s grounded in the very specific language of the CC license: “you may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.” So while A24 could sell tickets to a theater showing, it couldn’t prevent a fan from re‑uploading the same cut online.

It’s not the first time A24 has run into the SCP community’s vigilance. Earlier this year the studio issued automated copyright strikes against fan‑made Backrooms videos, only to retreat after the backlash and claim the takedowns were mistakes. That episode gave the SCP Foundation a reason to be wary; after all, a studio with deep pockets could, in theory, mount a costly legal fight to enforce a restrictive claim.

And there’s precedent on the other side, too. In 2019 a Russian entrepreneur tried to trademark the SCP name and use it to block local merchandise. A Russian antitrust agency eventually ruled in the foundation’s favor, but not without a costly legal scramble that the community had to fund.

On September 12, A24 responded via a spokesperson, insisting the film is meant as a “tribute” to the community and that the studio is not trying to prevent others from creating SCP‑based works. “Our worldwide rights cover the next film in the V/H/S franchise, not exclusivity over the SCP universe,” the statement read.

So the dispute is now a polite, public tug‑of‑war over what the Creative Commons license actually permits. Whether the film will see a traditional theatrical run, end up on a streaming service, or simply become another free‑to‑share piece of fan‑culture remains to be seen. One thing is clear, though: the SCP Foundation isn’t about to hand over its open‑source horror playground without a fight.