Corpse Run 588.5: The Fine Brothers
LIVESTREAM UPDATE:
Still a livestream, tonight (Friday, January 29th) at 7pm est! Doodles and Aviary Attorney!
Watch here or here, see you then!
END LIVESTREAM UPDATE!
What? A sort-of comic on a Friday? What’s going on? In the event you missed it, the Fine Bros just pulled this nonsense:
As a quick summary, the Fine Bros are a duo that got famous on YouTube for creating a bunch of “react” video series, where folks react to a bunch of random stuff (mostly viral videos) on the internet.
There’s “Kids react,” “Teens react,” “Elders react,” and so on.
They are looking to add to their empire of react videos by licensing out their brand so people can make react videos of their own.
It’s really frightening how they are all smiles telling their audience that they too can make react videos in a “fully legal way” by licensing with them and giving them a cut of your content.
…as if making react videos belong to these guys.
React videos on the internet predate the Fine Brothers.
React videos predate the internet.
Since this video has come out, they’ve had a lot of backlash and have been doing damage control on their videos, facebook page, and reddit.
By damage control, I primarily mean they have been censoring and deleting as many posts as possible that are criticizing them for what they’re doing.
They are also trying to explain what they mean by defining what their claims are here: https://www.facebook.com/FineBros/posts/10153850492114522
They keep deleting stuff, so who knows what’ll be there by the time you click on it, but the long and short of what they’re saying at the time of this writing is that they:
- do not own a copyright on “react” videos in general
- do own the format of their show, including:
- logos
- titles
- brand names
- “timing”
- their specific use of music (wtf does that mean)
- types of segments
- and some other stuff
Now, I don’t mind the logo bit. The Fine Bros’ logo is their logo and they should be able to control it. The titles of their shows… this is getting a little scary:
“Kids React”
That’s less of a brand title than it is a physical description of what’s happening in the video and I don’t think that should be trademarked. Here’s a frightening exchange from their FB page:
FINE BROTHERS: That is a trademarked show name, so yes, that is correct, and how series titles work across the entertainment industry but you could make that content.
That’s some grade A BS right there in my opinion.
They also say, “You are prohibited from distributing this show or any React branded content in any way without express consent in any territory worldwide”
Does that mean people can’t react to React videos? Are they so bold as to say its ok for them to steal other people’s content, PLAY IT IN THEIR OWN VIDEOS for reaction purposes, but others can’t do the same with their content?
Finally… notice how self-congratulatory these guys are, acting like their react videos are something other than mindless, fleeting entertainment… like they’re doing the world a favor by existing… these guys are absolutely insane.
This is part of the reason that I’m terrified for the future of the internet.
That’s just… what the hell, Fine Bros? You guys used to be awesome, and now, look at them.
Now, as for YOU, Alex and Dan, you guys are awesome. Also, satire. Love it.
This could fall under a descritive mark and be open to trademark busting. They could end up losing their trademark if they try and enforce it by law. The problem is youtube does not enforce via law but by the word of the supposed owner. It could end up enforcing a bad trademark.
This is in regard to the titles X Reacts. Its not a generic term but it is a descriptive term. They would probably be forced to proove that the term has developed special meaning to be recognised firstly as them and not as a type of video.
Wow, that’s… pretty gross. They make a ridiculous amount of money as-is, why are they trying to franchise this thing out to other content creators? So that they can go from “doing a moderate amount of work for a ridiculous amount of money” to “doing literally nothing for a ridiculous amount of money”?
This is the first I’ve heard of these guys. I have heard of reaction videos from… everyone. Can I make a video reacting to their Facebook page announcing this dumbass shit? It would be five seconds long and consist of nothing more than me looking at my computer and saying “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?” There. Reaction video to their content without actually using their content. Loophole!
Very on point. That reminds me though, I invented Corpse Run comments so if anyone wants to use my particular copyrighted style of spaces between words and periods at the end of sentences, look forward to CR Comment World that will help you do that in a fully legal way!
There are so many problems with this.
Protecting your logo and other IP’s I can definitely understand, hell if they simply became an MCN like the Yogscast or Machinima this would potentially be a really good thing.
But no. Instead they go insane and decide to license their YouTube show.
What the fuck?
They’re also trying to copyright/trademark the word “react.”
I was tempted to post something on their youtube page because i hate people who surreptitiously copywrite vague concepts in an attempt to stifle creativity and freedom of speech, but i realized i’ve never heard of them before and don’t really care.
eh, i did anyway
You reproduced their eyes perfectly. Those strange strange eyes.
I’ve never heard of these guys. At least not until now. I’m not saying I’ve been around the whole internet, because I doubt that’s really possible…or feasible given I don’t really do that…but honestly, I’ve never heard of them. To me, this is a load of garbage. These guys have done something that brings to mind a saying. “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.”
Have you ever sold out so hard? “Wow Ellen made a segment about kids having a reaction to old technology. She didn’t even talk to us. Go DDOS her and hack her toaster.” Worse than EA.