A peculiar internet mystery arose when Garry Newman, creator of Garry's Mod, revealed he had received a DMCA takedown notice from the creators of the viral "Skibidi Toilet" videos. The irony was palpable, as Garry's Mod is the very game used to create many of the popular Skibidi Toilet fan creations.
The drama unfolded on Sunday when Newman shared the news on the S&Box Discord server, displaying a screenshot of the DMCA letter. Interestingly, the copyright holder listed was Invisible Narratives, the film and TV production company behind the upcoming Skibidi Toilet movie, which is being produced in partnership with Michael Bay.
The letter specifically cited Skibidi Toilet characters like Titan Cameraman, Titan Speakerman, and Titan TV Man, claiming they were "all registered copyrights that are unique and representative of our brand." Further investigation revealed that Invisible Narratives had indeed registered a copyright for Titan Cameraman and several other unpublished works.
The letter also mentioned "significant revenue being generated by unauthorized Skibidi Toilet Garry's Mod games," adding a layer of irony to the situation. Skibidi Toilet, it's worth noting, is primarily built using assets from Half-Life 2, a game originally created by Valve, the company behind Garry's Mod.
However, the alleged Skibidi Toilet creator, Alexey Gerasimov, aka "DaFuq!?Boom," quickly took to the S&Box Discord to deny any involvement in the DMCA notice, stating he "did NOT strike Garry's Mod."
Thankfully, Newman confirmed that he and Gerasimov had been in contact, and the matter had been "resolved." While the exact details of the resolution remain unclear, it seems likely that the DMCA was sent in error.
It is not uncommon for DMCA claims to be sent mistakenly, especially when large entertainment companies are involved. IGN has reached out to Gerasimov, Valve, and Invisible Narratives for further clarification on the situation.
For now, it appears this week's bizarre internet mystery has reached a satisfying conclusion. The Skibidi Toilet phenomenon continues to entertain and puzzle the internet, but at least one mystery has been solved.
