Skibidi Toilet DMCAs Garry's Mod But Legitimacy Remains Unclear

Garry Newman, 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 TV adaptations. A Discord profile seemingly belonging to 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 utilizes assets from Garry's Mod, ported over by Alexey Gerasimov's YouTube channel, DaFuq!?Boom!, using Valve's Source Filmmaker. This series unexpectedly propelled Skibidi Toilet to memetic fame, leading to merchandise and planned film/TV projects.

Counterarguments and Uncertainty

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

The situation is complicated by Garry's Mod's own use of Half-Life 2 assets, a fact that Valve, the game's publisher, has seemingly overlooked. Valve's prior approval of Garry's Mod gives them a stronger legal standing than Invisible Narratives regarding asset usage.

Following the public disclosure, DaFuq!?Boom! denied involvement in the DMCA, prompting speculation and a request to contact Newman directly for clarification. The notice itself lists Invisible Narratives, LLC as the copyright holder, claiming copyright on the named characters in 2023.

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

Previous Copyright Disputes

Last September, DaFuq!?Boom! issued copyright strikes against other YouTubers, including GameToons, whose content is similar in style. While initially unsuccessful, a subsequent agreement was reached, resolving the issue, though the details remain undisclosed. The initial claims were widely considered questionable.

The situation surrounding the Garry's Mod DMCA remains unresolved, highlighting the complexities of copyright in the digital age and the unexpected consequences of viral internet phenomena.