Funko Responds to Itch.io Shutdown Caused by BrandShield
Funko has issued a public statement regarding the temporary shutdown of the Itch.io indie game marketplace. The company emphasized its strong support for the indie gaming community, stating they are "fans of fans" and appreciate the creativity and passion of indie developers.
Funko acknowledged that its brand protection partner, BrandShield, flagged an Itch.io page mimicking the Funko Fusion development website, leading to a takedown request. However, Funko explicitly stated they did not request a full takedown of the Itch.io platform and expressed relief at its swift restoration.
The company confirmed it's now in private discussions with Itch.io to address the situation and thanked the gaming community for its understanding.
Itch.io's owner, Leaf, provided further context on Hacker News, revealing the incident involved a "fraud and phishing report" submitted to both the hosting provider and registrar. The registrar's automated system responded by taking down the entire domain, despite Leaf's immediate action to remove the offending page. Leaf also noted that Funko's team contacted his mother, a detail omitted from Funko's official statement.
For a more comprehensive account of the Itch.io shutdown, please refer to Game8's previous article on the subject.
