A DMCA takedown notice, allegedly from a party connected to the Skibidi Toilet franchise, has been issued to Garry Newman, creator of Garry's Mod. The situation is rife with irony, as the Skibidi Toilet series itself utilizes assets from Garry's Mod.
The DMCA Claim
On July 30th, Newman reportedly received a copyright claim demanding the removal of unauthorized Skibidi Toilet content within Garry's Mod. The sender claimed no official Skibidi Toilet content exists on Steam, Valve, or within Garry's Mod.
Initially, Invisible Narratives, the studio behind Skibidi Toilet's movie and TV adaptations, was implicated. However, the Skibidi Toilet creator, through a Discord profile, has denied sending the notice, as reported by Dexerto.
Garry's Mod, a Half-Life 2 modification, allows user-created content. The Skibidi Toilet YouTube series, created by Alexey Gerasimov ("DaFuq!?Boom!"), uses Garry's Mod assets and has become a viral Gen Alpha meme, leading to merchandise and planned film/TV projects.
Challenges to the DMCA
Newman publicized the DMCA on the s&box Discord server, highlighting the absurdity. Invisible Narratives' notice claims copyright over characters like Titan Cameraman, Titan Speakerman, Titan TV Man, and Skibidi Toilet. They cited DaFuq!?Boom! as the original source.
The irony is undeniable: Skibidi Toilet's foundation lies within Garry's Mod assets. While Garry's Mod uses Half-Life 2 assets, Valve, the publisher, approved its standalone release in 2006. Valve, as the original copyright holder of Half-Life 2, arguably has a stronger claim than Invisible Narratives against unauthorized asset usage by DaFuq!?Boom!.
Following the public disclosure, DaFuq!?Boom! denied involvement on the s&box Discord, expressing confusion and a desire to contact Newman. The DMCA notice itself was reportedly sent by an unknown party "on behalf of" Invisible Narratives, LLC, referencing copyrights filed in 2023.
DaFuq!?Boom!'s denial is not unprecedented; they've faced prior copyright disputes.
Previous Copyright Disputes
DaFuq!?Boom! previously issued copyright strikes against other YouTubers, including GameToons, leading to a temporary conflict that was eventually resolved through an undisclosed agreement.
The legitimacy of the DMCA notice to Garry's Mod remains uncertain, adding another layer of complexity to this unfolding saga.
