Comic Strips Elmer Saflor Sues Memes Generator for Copyright Infringement Skip to commentsFilipino cartoonist Elmer Saflor, who goes by pen name Superelmer, has filed a complaint against Memes App, LLC, the operator of Memes.ai and Memes AI Studio, for alleged copyright infringement when they began selling a commercial template subscription plan that includes his viral cartoon Running Away Balloon. First published in 2017, his cartoon has been re-shared millions of times across social media and is included in multiple meme generator sites for free. Elmer registered his cartoon with the United States Copyright Office in 2024, two years before Memes App launched it’s advertising template service. By taking on the meme generator, Saflor may hit a wall if the court finds that his arguments apply to any meme generator and a finding in his favor could risk undercutting the entire meme ecosystem, Goldman said. Unless, Goldman suggested, Memes Apps can prove that the deal is a common model in the meme generator industry.