Gab Hernandez 
The creator of Skibidi Toilet has allegedly sent a DMCA notice to Garry’s Mod, sparking controversy on social media.
Skibidi Toilet is one of the most unexpected success stories of the online space. Beginning life as an absurdist comedy series geared toward younger audiences, Skibidi Toilet suddenly took on a life of its own when it garnered hundreds of millions of views. Eventually, the success became so great that Hollywood’s Paramount Pictures greenlit a Skibidi Toilet movie with Michael Bay at the helm.
Skibidi Toilet has also garnered controversy, as any popular thing is wont to do. Most fans love the absurdist humor and over-the-top visuals and even take the “lore” somewhat seriously. However, critics point out it’s no different from several Source Film Maker memes and dislike the “brainrot” it inflicts on audiences. Even so, Skibidi Toilet’s popularity is undeniable. However, an alleged copyright strike may change everything for Skibidi Toilet.
Skibidi Toilet creator may Garry’s Mod?
Skibidi Toilet creator Alexey “DaFuqBoom” Gerasimov allegedly sent Garry’s Mod creator Garry Newman a DMCA notice over “unauthorized use of assets.” However, an individual claiming to be Gerasimov claims they did not send out DMC notices.
YouTuber Thafnine shared screenshots of an alleged DMCA notice sent to Newman by Gerasimov’s legal team. Newman himself also shared these screenshots on his official s&box Discord server. The issues reportedly stem from fanmade Skibidi Toilet characters in Garry’s Mod’s. This is the second notable potential DMCA of Garry’s Mod, following Nintendo taking legal action against the game.
The notice claimed characters such as Titan Cameraman, Titan Speakerman, Titan TV Man, and the eponymous Skibidi Toilet heads as “unique and representative” of the brand. The notice also claimed significant revenue generated from these fanmade assets.
Many fans criticized the DMCA notice. Although the characters of Skibidi Toilet are technically original, the models still use assets pulled from Valve games, particularly Half-Life 2. Since Valve officially published Garry’s Mod, Skibidi Toilet makes a paradoxical argument with possible DMCA notices.
Some believe that the movie deal led to Hollywood lawyers sending out DMCA notices with reckless abandon, unaware of the property’s status as a parody. There’s also the possibility that trolls claiming to be representatives of Gerasimov sent the DMCA notice.
An account claiming to be Gerasimov joined Newman’s Discord server, asking for a way to contact the creator and claiming he did not strike Garry’s Mod. Regardless, the aftermath of this incident could dictate Skibidi Toilet’s continued success.
UPDATE: Garry Newman has reportedly resolved the DMCA issue, but the reasons for the notice remain a mystery.
