GW caused this fiasco by removing content that was already available for free and trying to put it behind W+. This obviously led to backlash from the community, especially when GW put out their new IP guidelines that state. NO MORE FAN ANIMATIONS. Like at all, not if you do it for free, make it clear that it's not GW, no more fan animations. Bringing up SODAZ is to show that this hurts creators on both sides. Those who don't join up with GW TTS, and those who do join up with GW SODAZ. If GW had left the old videos alone and instead just stated that new videos were coming out on W+, and that fan animators could do whatever as long as it's free there would have still been backlash but it would have been less since other fan animators would and could make free fan animations.
GW started this conflict between themselves and the fans, and that conflict hurts people on both sides.
Allow me to quote GW's IP policy for you.
Fan-fiction, hobby books and magazines
Individuals may write their own stories, hobby books and magazines based on our characters and settings, but these must:
not include text, artwork or imagery copied from any official Games Workshop material
be non-commercial, with no money being received or paid. This includes all forms of fundraising activity, and generation of any advertising revenue
not be publicly distributed, except for no-charge digital distribution
make it clear that they are unofficial, without using any Games Workshop logos, and include the word ‘unofficial’ prominently on the front cover
not be prejudicial to the goodwill, reputation or integrity of Games Workshop or its intellectual property
This seems to be like what you're saying that you can make something as long as it's clearly not offical GW and it's for free. Now allow me to quote their specific line on FAN ANIMATIONS.
Fan-films and animations – individuals must not create fan films or animations based on our settings and characters. These are only to be created under licence from Games Workshop.
So literally GW IP policy is no fan animations anywhere that isn't W+. NOTHING, you can't do fan animations if it's free, clearly not officially GW, or anything else. You either get on W+ or you can just not make fan animations of AoS or 40K.