Funko Brands Safeguard with AI Tech

Funko has issued a statement regarding the temporary shutdown of Itch.io, allegedly triggered by its brand protection software, BrandShield. Let's delve into Funko's response.

Funko and Itch.io in Private Discussions

Funko's official X (formerly Twitter) account addressed the situation, emphasizing their strong support for the indie gaming community. They confirmed that BrandShield flagged an Itch.io page mimicking the Funko Fusion development website, resulting in a takedown request. Crucially, Funko clarified that they did not request a complete Itch.io shutdown and expressed relief at the platform's swift restoration.

Funko stated they are now in direct contact with Itch.io to resolve the matter and thanked the gaming community for their understanding.

However, Itch.io's owner, Leaf, provided a more nuanced account on Hacker News. He revealed the incident wasn't a simple takedown request but a "fraud and phishing report" sent to both the hosting provider and registrar. The registrar's automated system reacted by taking down the entire domain, despite Leaf's immediate action to remove the offending page. Leaf also noted, unmentioned in Funko's statement, that Funko contacted his mother.

For a comprehensive overview of the incident, refer to Game8's previous report on Itch.io's temporary outage.