Tung Tung Sahur, one of the internet’s biggest brainrot characters, is now at the center of a federal legal fight over who can control viral meme characters.
The case pits Spyder Games LLC and Speedy Simulator Gaming LLC, the companies behind Roblox hit Steal a Brainrot, against Mementum Lab SAS, a French company that says it represents creators behind some of the most popular brainrot characters online.
In court filings, Mementum says Tung Tung Sahur was created by Indonesian content creator Noxa, who drew on the Ramadan tradition of being woken up for Sahur, the pre-fast meal, with the character designed as a humanoid kentongan carrying a wooden bat.
The result was one of the most recognizable characters in the brainrot universe, and eventually one of many viral figures featured in Steal a Brainrot, a Roblox game where players collect, steal, and earn virtual currency from different brainrot characters.
Why Tung Tung Sahur is in federal court
The dispute started after Mementum sent Steal a Brainrot’s owners a cease-and-desist letter in September 2025, claiming intellectual property rights in Tung Tung Sahur and saying the character needed to be removed from the game.
According to Mementum’s filings, Spyder and Speedy initially removed Tung Tung Sahur from Steal a Brainrot and entered licensing talks, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement. Mementum claims the game later reintroduced Tung Tung Sahur without permission.
Spyder and Speedy then filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of California, asking the court to rule that Mementum does not own valid or enforceable copyright rights in Tung Tung Sahur or the other brainrot characters at issue.
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A statement from Mementum Labs when Tung Tung Sahur was removed from Steal A Brainrot
Their argument centers on whether the characters can be protected by copyright in the United States, with the complaint claiming the brainrots were generated by artificial intelligence without the human authorship required for copyright protection.
Mementum has pushed back hard on that framing. In its own filings, the company says Noxa and another creator, Breno, used an “involved, artistic process” to create the names, backstories, voices, music, and videos tied to their characters.
The company has also filed counterclaims for trademark infringement and unfair competition, arguing that it has trademark rights in Tung Tung Sahur’s name and image and that Steal a Brainrot’s use of the character is likely to confuse players about whether the use was authorized.
The company says it has already licensed Tung Tung Sahur for other games and products, including Plants Vs Brainrots, Pudgy Party, Fortnite, Brainrot Fight, toys, books, e-books, and consumer products.
Spyder and Speedy are now trying to dismiss Mementum’s amended counterclaims. In their motion, they argue that Tung Tung Sahur is a fictional character, not a trademark source identifier, and that Mementum is trying to use trademark law to control creative content, which belongs under copyright law.
The latest legal fight is also about whether the original copyright case should continue at all. Mementum issued a covenant not to sue Spyder and Speedy under US copyright law for using the original listed characters in Steal a Brainrot, then argued that the promise makes the copyright dispute moot.
Court filings showing characters created by Noxa
Spyder and Speedy say that does not solve the issue. In a June 24 filing, they argued the covenant is too narrow because it only covers certain uses of certain characters in the game, while the dispute has expanded to merchandise, other platforms, derivative works, a potential feature film, and 22 additional brainrot characters Mementum has identified.
Put simply, the case has become something close to a federal “custody battle” over who can claim control of a viral internet character and whether AI-era meme characters can be locked behind copyright or trademark claims once they become big enough to monetize.
A judge has not yet ruled on those core questions. The next major hearing currently listed in the filings is set for September 16, 2026, when the court is scheduled to hear motions tied to both Mementum’s attempt to dismiss the copyright claim and Spyder and Speedy’s attempt to dismiss Mementum’s counterclaims.
For now, the case remains a strange but potentially important test for the future of AI-generated memes, Roblox games, Fortnite skins, and the companies trying to turn brainrot into licensed IP.
