"Skibidi's DMCA Troubles: Mod's Legitimacy in Question"

Garry Newman, the creator of the popular game modding platform Garry's Mod, recently received a DMCA takedown notice related to Skibidi Toilet content. The situation is shrouded in confusion, as the origin and legitimacy of the notice are currently unclear.

The Alleged DMCA and its Mysterious Source

On July 30th, Newman received a copyright claim demanding the removal of unauthorized Skibidi Toilet Garry's Mod games. The sender claimed no licensed content exists linking Skibidi Toilet to Steam, Valve, or Garry's Mod. Initial reports pointed to Invisible Narratives, the studio behind Skibidi Toilet's movie and TV adaptations, as the source. However, this has been disputed. A Discord profile seemingly belonging to the Skibidi Toilet creator denies sending the notice, as reported by Dexerto.

This situation is ironic, given the Skibidi Toilet series' origins. The series, created by Alexey Gerasimov (DaFuq!?Boom!), utilizes assets from Garry's Mod and Source Filmmaker (a Valve product) to create its animations. The meme's viral success led to merchandise and planned film and television projects by Invisible Narratives.

Conflicting Claims and Copyright Ownership

Newman publicly shared the DMCA notice on the s&box Discord server, expressing his disbelief. Invisible Narratives' notice asserts copyright ownership over characters like Titan Cameraman, Titan Speakerman, Titan TV Man, and Skibidi Toilet. They cite DaFuq!?Boom! as the source of these characters.

The irony is palpable: Skibidi Toilet's assets originated in Garry's Mod, itself built using Valve's Half-Life 2 assets. Valve, having authorized Garry's Mod's release, holds a stronger claim than Invisible Narratives regarding the use of their assets. Therefore, Valve might have a stronger case against DaFuq!?Boom! for unauthorized asset usage.

Following the public revelation, DaFuq!?Boom! also denied involvement on the s&box Discord, expressing confusion and seeking contact with Newman. The DMCA notice, sent "on behalf of copyright holder: Invisible Narratives, LLC," claims copyright protection for the characters, registered in 2023.

A Pattern of Copyright Disputes?

The situation remains unresolved, with the DMCA's true origin unclear. However, this isn't DaFuq!?Boom!'s first copyright controversy. Last September, they issued multiple copyright strikes against GameToons, another YouTuber producing similar content, eventually reaching a settlement.

The Skibidi Toilet DMCA incident highlights the complexities of copyright in the age of user-generated content and viral memes, underscoring the need for clearer lines of ownership and communication.