Garry Newman, creator of Garry's Mod, reportedly received a DMCA takedown notice concerning unauthorized Skibidi Toilet content within the Garry's Mod community. The source of the notice is currently unclear.

The DMCA Takedown

The notice, received on July 30th, demanded the removal of user-created Skibidi Toilet Garry's Mod games, citing a lack of licensing agreements. Initial reports incorrectly attributed the notice to Invisible Narratives, the studio behind Skibidi Toilet's film and television adaptations. However, Alexey Gerasimov, the creator of the popular YouTube channel DaFuq!?Boom! (which uses Garry's Mod assets to create Skibidi Toilet content), has since denied sending the notice via a Discord post.

Garry's Mod, a modification for Valve's Half-Life 2, allows users to create and share custom game modes. DaFuq!?Boom!'s work, which significantly contributed to the Skibidi Toilet meme's virality, utilizes assets from Garry's Mod, creating an ironic situation given the DMCA claim.

Counterarguments and Irony

Newman highlighted the irony on the s&box Discord server, questioning the legitimacy of the claim given Skibidi Toilet's origins within the Garry's Mod community. Invisible Narratives' notice claimed copyright ownership over characters like Titan Cameraman, Titan Speakerman, Titan TV Man, and Skibidi Toilet, pointing to DaFuq!?Boom! as the source.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Garry's Mod itself uses assets from Half-Life 2, yet Valve, the owner of Half-Life 2, has authorized its release. Valve's position would likely be stronger than Invisible Narratives' in any legal dispute regarding the unauthorized use of their assets.

Following the public discussion, DaFuq!?Boom! also denied involvement in the DMCA notice on the s&box Discord. The notice itself 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 unconfirmed, this isn't their first encounter with copyright disputes.

Previous Copyright Disputes

DaFuq!?Boom! previously issued copyright strikes against other YouTube channels, including GameToons, leading to a temporary conflict resolved through an undisclosed agreement.

The legitimacy of the DMCA notice sent to Garry Newman remains uncertain, highlighting the complex legal landscape surrounding user-generated content and the unexpected consequences of viral internet memes.