The Roblox game “Steal a Brainrot” is at the center of a legal dispute over its use of the AI-generated character Tung Tung Tung Sahur, which was created by Indonesian TikToker Noxa. The conflict began after Noxa, represented by the agency Mememtum Lab, contacted the game’s developer, Sammy, to discuss licensing. This led to the character’s immediate removal from the game in early September, triggering a worldwide backlash from fans.
What is Steal a Brainrot and the Tung Tung Tung Sahur character?
“Steal a Brainrot” is a popular Roblox game that combines Gen Alpha internet memes with a creature-capturing gameplay mechanic. Players collect surreal, meme-inspired monsters called “brainrots,” whose in-game value increases the longer they are held. The core mechanic allows players to steal these brainrots from each other, creating a competitive and unpredictable experience that has resonated with both children and young adults.
The character at the heart of the dispute, Tung Tung Tung Sahur, is a wooden drum with a blank expression, armed with a baseball bat. It originated from the Indonesian “brainrot” meme culture and was created by the TikToker Noxa using AI image generation tools. The character’s quirky and menacing aesthetic helped it go viral, with videos featuring it amassing tens of millions of views on platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
The origins of the legal dispute
The conflict started when Noxa, through Mememtum Lab, reached out to the game’s developer to discuss a potential licensing agreement for the continued use of the character. According to the agency, the developer responded by consulting a lawyer and preemptively removing Tung Tung Tung Sahur from the game to avoid potential legal issues. Mememtum Lab stated that neither they nor Noxa had requested the removal and were open to a discussion that would allow players to keep using the character.
The game’s developers issued a statement on TikTok highlighting the economic stakes:
“Steal a Brainrot is making millions in revenue using Noxa’s work, in which we invest time and resources… We were always open for discussion and Noxa would be happy for the players to keep playing with Tung Sahur. This situation isn’t fair regarding our partners (small and big studios) who have acquired our license in all fairness.”
The unclear legal status of AI-generated images
The dispute brings to the forefront the complex and unresolved legal question of who owns AI-generated images. In the United States, where the game’s developer is based, copyright protection typically requires a significant level of human authorship. The U.S. Copyright Office has stated that AI-generated outputs can only be protected by copyright if a human author has contributed “sufficient expressive elements.” Recent court cases have rejected attempts to copyright purely AI-generated works, leaving the legal landscape in flux.
Widespread fan backlash and misinformation
The removal of Tung Tung Tung Sahur has caused an intense reaction from the game’s community, particularly its younger players. Social media has been flooded with videos of fans expressing sadness and alarm, with memes depicting the character with angel wings to symbolize its “death.”
Noxa has faced significant criticism online, with many fans accusing the creator of being greedy. Misinformation has also spread, including rumors that the legal issue could lead to the entire game being deleted, causing further anxiety among the player base. The situation even prompted a YouTuber with 14 million subscribers to announce a live “funeral” for the character, an event that drew hundreds of viewers.
