Bootleg Memes

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Bootleg Memes are redrawn or heavily abstracted versions of popular meme formats, created as a protest joke against the EU's 2019 Copyright Directive and Article 13. The trend kicked off in June 2018 on Reddit and spread through YouTube and a dedicated /r/bootleg_memes subreddit.

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Overview

Bootleg Memes, also called Article 13 Compliant Memes, are redrawn or minimalist recreations of popular meme formats made to sidestep copyright rules4. The image stays recognizable, but the original photography, logos, and characters get swapped for crude hand-drawn versions, blurred pixels, or labeled boxes1.

The style came out of European fears about EU copyright reform, specifically Article 13 of the 2019 Copyright Directive5. Making a meme 'compliant' turned into a running joke where creators butchered famous templates into barely-legible sketches while claiming the redraw kept them legally safe2.

How It Spread

Within days of Yamezj's post, more redrawn, blurred, and stripped-down memes flooded Reddit. On June 24th, 2018, YouTuber Grandayy uploaded an 'Article 13-compliant' edit of the We Are Number One video where every character and prop was replaced by animated cards with text labels2.

Activity picked up again when the Copyright Directive was approved on September 12th, 2018. The next day, September 13th, /r/bootleg_memes launched as a dedicated hub for the format3. Meme Insider covered the trend on September 19th, 20184.

The final directive vote on March 26th, 2019 protected uploads for parody and pastiche, which covered memes and GIFs5. That decision set off another wave. On March 23rd, Redditor DmitryZaytcev posted a minimalist Drakeposting redraw to /r/memes that hit over 28,500 upvotes in six days6.

How to Use This Meme

A Bootleg Meme typically starts from a well-known template, then removes the original imagery. Common approaches include tracing the meme by hand in MS Paint style, blurring the source photo past recognition, or replacing every visual element with labeled shapes1. The joke is that the redraw stays just recognizable enough to read as the original while looking legally distinct2.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bootleg Memes

2018image macrodeclining

Bootleg Memes are redrawn or heavily abstracted versions of popular meme formats, created as a protest joke against the EU's 2019 Copyright Directive and Article 13. The trend kicked off in June 2018 on Reddit and spread through YouTube and a dedicated /r/bootleg_memes subreddit.

copyright controversy memes protest memes redraw challenge memes european memes 2018 memes

Overview

Bootleg Memes, also called Article 13 Compliant Memes, are redrawn or minimalist recreations of popular meme formats made to sidestep copyright rules4. The image stays recognizable, but the original photography, logos, and characters get swapped for crude hand-drawn versions, blurred pixels, or labeled boxes1.

The style came out of European fears about EU copyright reform, specifically Article 13 of the 2019 Copyright Directive5. Making a meme 'compliant' turned into a running joke where creators butchered famous templates into barely-legible sketches while claiming the redraw kept them legally safe2.

How It Spread

Within days of Yamezj's post, more redrawn, blurred, and stripped-down memes flooded Reddit. On June 24th, 2018, YouTuber Grandayy uploaded an 'Article 13-compliant' edit of the We Are Number One video where every character and prop was replaced by animated cards with text labels2.

Activity picked up again when the Copyright Directive was approved on September 12th, 2018. The next day, September 13th, /r/bootleg_memes launched as a dedicated hub for the format3. Meme Insider covered the trend on September 19th, 20184.

The final directive vote on March 26th, 2019 protected uploads for parody and pastiche, which covered memes and GIFs5. That decision set off another wave. On March 23rd, Redditor DmitryZaytcev posted a minimalist Drakeposting redraw to /r/memes that hit over 28,500 upvotes in six days6.

How to Use This Meme

A Bootleg Meme typically starts from a well-known template, then removes the original imagery. Common approaches include tracing the meme by hand in MS Paint style, blurring the source photo past recognition, or replacing every visual element with labeled shapes1. The joke is that the redraw stays just recognizable enough to read as the original while looking legally distinct2.

Frequently Asked Questions