The staff and authors of the SCP Foundation Wiki (the real-life writing project behind the SCP Foundation universe and its official home) were not consulted or contacted regarding this film. We have been attempting to contact the filmmakers but haven't yet been successful. To be clear: we have not had any communication with the filmmakers, producers, or distributors for this project, despite our best efforts, and to the best of our knowledge they have not made any efforts to contact us. Furthermore, A24 does not and cannot have any exclusive rights to anything related to the SCP Foundation, including any films that Spooky Pictures or anyone else may choose to create.
The SCP Foundation, all SCPs, and related concepts, characters, etc. are under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 3.0) license. It allows for the production of derivative works, whether commercially or otherwise, subject to certain restrictions. (This is broadly similar to the situation with some open-source software such as Linux, although legal specifics differ.) The "ShareAlike" aspect means that creators of derivative works are obligated to release those works under CC BY-SA 3.0 or later as well. Many fans have created adaptations of the original project by utilizing the rights granted by our license, including unofficial SCPs, cartoons, dramatic readings, and more. A24, Spooky Pictures, and other involved companies would be able to legally distribute the film to theaters, stream it online, etc. provided they release it under CC BY-SA 3.0 or later. However:
- They would not be permitted to distribute the film with DRM or other effective technological measures that would prevent it from being copied.
- They would not be able to establish any sort of exclusivity with respect to distribution. Just as anyone who follows the license can redistribute and create derivative works based on the SCP Foundation articles on our wiki, anyone will be able to do the same with their film. For example, anyone could upload a copy to YouTube; similarly, any commercial streaming service would be free to stream the film without payment to anyone. (This is why, despite prior interest, no Hollywood films have been created using SCP material.)
- They do not have the ability to prevent any of the other interested parties from creating their own works based on the SCP Foundation universe or its adaptations, including their film.
- Similarly, they would not be allowed to impose any terms on theaters that would prevent them from making copies of the film. In conjunction with the above, we wouldn't be surprised to see the film on YouTube on its premiere date, if not before.
- If anyone were to violate this license, that person or organization would lose all rights to distribute any works derived from the SCP Foundation Wiki.
These are not the only terms of our license, but they are among the most relevant to this situation.
We'd love to sit down with A24, Spooky Pictures, and other involved parties to discuss options for how they could make and distribute a film while complying with CC BY-SA. We chose to release our project under a Creative Commons license to allow fans to tell their own stories as well as adapt ours. We chose the ShareAlike license to ensure that everyone who enjoyed those fan works would have the same rights as the people who created them. We hope that the filmmakers will follow their legal obligations under our license.
Please direct all media inquiries to media@scpwiki.com. Only media inquiries should be sent to this address.
Licensing inquiries should be directed to licensing@scpwiki.com and all other emails directly related to this matter should be sent to admin@scpwiki.com.
SCP International, the common organization for all SCP language branches, has released a joint statement on this matter.
FAQ
Q: What is the SCP Foundation looking to achieve?
A: We want the various parties involved with the V/H/S film, if they decide to proceed with the project, to confirm that they will do one of two things:
- Release it under CC BY-SA 3.0 or later and take no hostile action (e.g. improper copyright strikes) against anyone who complies with that license.
- Release it with no content derived from the SCP Foundation universe in a way that would make the film a derivative work.
As an organization, we have no preference between the two options.
Q: Are you opposed to the production and release of a theatrical film based on the SCP Foundation?
A: No. Anyone is welcome to make and distribute such a film provided they follow the requirements of our license.
Q: Are you looking for money or compensation in exchange for relaxing the requirements of your license?
A: No. We do not have the legal ability to do so, and would not even if we could.
Q: What if they don't use any existing SCP anomalies in the film? Would it still be a derivative work?
A: Yes. As an example, consider the various Star Trek series that have been produced over the years. Even the ones with an entirely new cast on an entirely new ship are still based on the work that has come before.
Q: Are you saying that the filmmakers are obligated to work with the SCP Foundation?
A: No. They do not need our permission or involvement to create a work under the terms of our license. Our concern is whether they will follow the license.
Q: If someone illicitly releases a derivative of a CC BY-SA work without following the license, do the rights provided by the license still apply?
A: No. Nobody would have the right to distribute such a work.