Garry's Mod Dispute: Skibidi Toilet DMCA Validity in Question

Garry Newman, the creator of Garry's Mod, reportedly received a DMCA takedown notice concerning unauthorized Skibidi Toilet content within the game. The origin of the notice is currently unclear, despite initial reports linking it to Invisible Narratives, the studio behind Skibidi Toilet's film and television projects. A Discord profile associated with the Skibidi Toilet creator has since denied sending the notice, as reported by Dexerto.

The DMCA and its Ironic Twist

The DMCA claimed that no licensed Skibidi Toilet content exists for Garry's Mod, Steam, or Valve products. This is ironic, considering the Skibidi Toilet series itself originated from assets within Garry's Mod, as created by Alexey Gerasimov's YouTube channel, DaFuq!?Boom!, using Valve's Source Filmmaker. The series' viral success led to merchandise and planned film/TV adaptations by Invisible Narratives.

Newman shared the DMCA on the s&box Discord, highlighting its absurdity. Invisible Narratives' notice asserted copyright ownership over characters like Titan Cameraman, Titan Speakerman, Titan TV Man, and Skibidi Toilet, citing DaFuq!?Boom! as the original source.

The situation is complicated by Garry's Mod's own use of Half-Life 2 assets. While Valve, the owner of Half-Life 2, authorized Garry's Mod's release, their position regarding the unauthorized use of their assets by DaFuq!?Boom! is stronger than Invisible Narratives'.

Following Newman's public disclosure, DaFuq!?Boom! denied involvement, expressing confusion and seeking contact with Newman. The DMCA was reportedly sent "on behalf of copyright holder: Invisible Narratives, LLC," claiming copyright on the aforementioned characters, registered in 2023.

While DaFuq!?Boom!'s denial remains unverified, this isn't their first copyright controversy.

Previous Copyright Disputes

Last September, DaFuq!?Boom! issued copyright strikes against other YouTubers, including GameToons, resulting in a temporary dispute before an eventual, undisclosed agreement.

The current situation surrounding the Garry's Mod DMCA remains unresolved, highlighting the complexities of copyright in the age of viral internet memes and user-generated content. The legitimacy of the notice and the exact chain of events leading to it remain uncertain.