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The Fine Brothers have had a bit of a rough weekend and the PR nightmare isn't slowing down at all. The pair have one of the biggest channels on YouTube and are responsible for several series of ‘reaction' style videos showing people of different ages reacting to things like Netflix or old-school internet and in an effort to take the next step, the channel decided to try and trademark the word ‘React'- which hasn't gone down well at all.
It all started last week when the Fine Brothers announced ‘React World' a new company program set up to allow other content creators to buy a ‘license' in order to use the ‘React' name or a specific ‘React' series for their own channel. The Fine Bros already have approved trademarks for things like ‘adults react', ‘kids react' and ‘celebrities react' but the trademark for the sole word ‘react' is still under debate. The new licensing program, as well as the ownership of these trademarks, would essentially allow The Fine Brothers to copyright bully channels on YouTube that create reaction videos under fair use without buying their license.
Before the React World announcement, The Fine Bros YouTube channel had 14.1 million subscribers and since then, that number has depleted to 13.88 million at the time of writing and that number keeps lowering and lowering every second, as you can see by the real-time counter, HERE.
To try and do some damage control, The Fine Bros published an update video over the weekend in which they state that they ‘do not own the genre' of reaction videos. Unfortunately, actions speak louder than words and the channel has already issued copyright takedown notices against other channels that post reaction videos merely for having the word ‘react' in the title.
As video game attorney, Ryan Morrison pointed out on Reddit, The Fine Bros already have a sense of entitlement when it comes to reaction videos and have been bullying smaller channels for years. At one point in time, there was a channel called ‘SeniorsReact', which was shut down following copyright strikes prior to The Fine Bros launching their own ‘Elders React' series.
KitGuru Says: One thing is clear, it seems people on the Internet don't want to let The Fine Bros monopolize the ‘reaction' genre on YouTube and I don't really blame them. The Fine Bros channel has already lost well over 200,000 subscribers in the last couple of days alone so it is clear that they are going to need to do something in response.
If they don’t yet own the word or genre ‘react’ (which I’m pretty damn sure they can’t do anyway) how have they been issuing copyright takedowns on smaller channels?
They were successful in trade-marking variations previously, which I assume is how they have managed to pursue people.
Anyway, f*ck these guys.
Dev has it right, the singular ‘React’ trademark is still up for debate but they have managed to secure trademarks for things like ‘kids react’ and ‘adults react’, which is how they have managed to successfully take down videos and such.
they removed a react video that pre-dates their first react video, you can not trade make a common word, you can not trademark a reaction, japan tele has been doing react in their tv reality shows since ever, people have been making react videos even before them.
So react is not kosher but rounded corners is halal?
apparently legal ret-con is a thing.
Americans… What can you do with them?
???
Frankly speaking, these trademark and patent things have been created to protect the inventor and creator, it is now used to destroy them, I believe we should stop them altogether.
They stole the react concept from candid camera.
Subs are reacting to their assinie ways yay f the fine bros. hahaha
I want to subscribe to their channel only to Un-subscribes, i hate ass holes like this, “If i can’t make money like a man, lets try the weasel way, and sue everyone who use day to day words”
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That’s not really something new; trademarks and patents haven’t worked for more than a hundred years. But the rich and powerful profit from it, so no lawmaker is going to touch it.
Despite being a bunch of trademarking assholes, they still have 13.7 million subscribers. So their power has barely diminished. As long as they get crazy trademarks, they will try to protect something that is neither original nor theirs. Creativity is dead, and these kind of people occasionally come along to put some more dirt on the grave.
Is there a copyright on the word “Love” and can I copyright it and finally stop people having Love in public?
To try and do some damage control, The Fine Bros published an update video
deleted
Because i think they LEGALLY have to. Unlike copyrights you have to enforce your trademark for it to be valid. And since they are in the process of getting it they need to send out the C&D letters so after they get the trademark (which people have 90 days to oppose) they cant be like “we never knew you were trying to trade mark it!!!
They have it on notice that they were given a chance to oppose it and they have to enforce it if they want to keep it