Skibidi Toilet Controversy: Mod's Legality Unresolved

Garry Newman, the creator of Garry's Mod, reportedly received a DMCA takedown notice concerning unauthorized Skibidi Toilet content within the game. The situation is shrouded in uncertainty regarding the true sender of the notice.

The Alleged DMCA and its Controversial Origin

On July 30th, a copyright claim, purportedly targeting "unauthorized Skibidi Toilet Garry’s Mod games," was issued. The sender asserted the absence of any licensed Skibidi Toilet content on Steam, Valve, or within Garry's Mod itself.

Initial reports implicated Invisible Narratives, the studio behind Skibidi Toilet's film and TV adaptations. However, this has been disputed. A Discord profile seemingly belonging to the Skibidi Toilet creator denied sending the notice, as reported by Dexerto.

Garry's Mod, a mod for Half-Life 2, allows user-created content. The Skibidi Toilet YouTube series, created by Alexey Gerasimov (DaFuq!?Boom!), utilizes assets from Garry's Mod, ported into Source Filmmaker. This series' immense popularity spawned merchandise and plans for a film and TV series by Invisible Narratives.

Challenges to the DMCA Claim

Newman publicly revealed the DMCA on the s&box Discord server, highlighting the irony given Skibidi Toilet's origins within Garry's Mod. Invisible Narratives' notice claimed copyright ownership of characters like Titan Cameraman, Titan Speakerman, Titan TV Man, and Skibidi Toilet. They cited DaFuq!?Boom! as the source of these characters.

This claim is ironic, considering Garry's Mod's own reliance on Half-Life 2 assets, a situation sanctioned by Valve. Valve's position is stronger, given their ownership of Half-Life 2 assets, potentially giving them a superior claim against unauthorized use by DaFuq!?Boom!.

Following Newman's public statement, DaFuq!?Boom! denied involvement on the s&box Discord, expressing confusion and a desire to contact Newman. The DMCA notice was sent "on behalf of copyright holder: Invisible Narratives, LLC," claiming copyright on the characters in 2023.

The authenticity of DaFuq!?Boom!'s denial remains unconfirmed. This isn't the first time the Skibidi Toilet creator has faced copyright scrutiny.

Previous Copyright Disputes

Last September, DaFuq!?Boom! issued copyright strikes against other YouTubers, including GameToons. While initially attempting amicable resolution, DaFuq!?Boom! escalated the situation, leading to a subsequent agreement with GameToons, the details of which remain undisclosed.

The situation surrounding the Garry's Mod DMCA remains unresolved, highlighting the complexities of copyright in the context of user-generated content and the viral spread of online memes.