On The Fine Bros.

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So, a few days ago, the Fine Bros., well known for their react videos, made a video revealing their latest project, "React around the World". Essentially, it's a MCN that allows people to make reaction videos such as Kids React, Elders React, etc. from all over the world, under the Fine Bros. Name in exchange for publicity. But, here's the kicker. They are attempting to copyright the word "React", and essentially react videos in general. Of course, this is extremely dumb, they've been losing subscribers like crazy, and all of their most recent videos have thousands of dislikes and hateful comments. I want to know what you guys think of this mess.

My opinion on the matter is that this situation is very dumb. The Fine Bros. were already hugely successful, there was no need to get more money in the first place. Not only that, but trying to copyright the word "React" and reaction videos is super idiotic. They didn't invent react videos, or the word react. Granted, I am on the boat that some people are hating on them too much, but either way, what they're doing is just flat out nonsense.

Also, if you wanna see their live subscriber count go down just for the lols or whatnot, here's a link http://www.livecounts.x10host.com/?channel=Fine bros :^)
 

aVocado

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I never understood reaction videos since the beginning anyway. Like sure, I'd occasionally enjoy a reaction video over something that was completely unexpected and only from certain people, but most of the time it's honestly just dumb, uncreative, and simply not funny lol.

This is retarded.
 
I never understood reaction videos since the beginning anyway. Like sure, I'd occasionally enjoy a reaction video over something that was completely unexpected and only from certain people, but most of the time it's honestly just dumb, uncreative, and simply not funny lol.

This is retarded.
Well, at the very least Fine Bros. had top quality stuff. Instead of being like Jinx and making follow bots and just staring blankly at the entire video, Fine Bros. had multiple people with plenty of emotion, along with not showing the entire video incentivising people to look at the original. What they're doing is still pretty retarded tho'.
 
They came out and clarified that they are not after copyrighting "reaction videos" but will allow people to edit their videos in their exact format and use their logos
they are trying too. look at the videos theyve had removed from youtube / ellens segment that they went after. they kept the language purposefully vague to try and use their shitty youtube power to remove reaction videos not making them money.
 
They came out and clarified that they are not after copyrighting "reaction videos" but will allow people to edit their videos in their exact format and use their logos
I heard about that. While i'd like to believe that, I'm 99% positive that it's just B.S. They're in it for the money, and it's obvious they were serious about it until they saw what huge amounts of backlash they were getting.
 
I don't get why the anger is directed towards Fine Bros. It seems like the same story as with Martin Shkreli. The copyright system is broken in so many industries. Anger should be directed at the system that gives people 100% control for no reason.

If they try to copyright "react," they should be just laughed at. There shouldn't be any chance of them actually being successful (but it seems they are?).
 
I don't get why the anger is directed towards Fine Bros. It seems like the same story as with Martin Shkreli. The copyright system is broken in so many industries. Anger should be directed at the system that gives people 100% control for no reason.

If they try to copyright "react," they should be just laughed at. There shouldn't be any chance of them actually being successful (but it seems they are?).
Yeah, I guess, but it's still dumb what they've done. Not only that, but they're also (basically) trying to copyright even reaction videos in general. So I feel some hate is deserved, but I will admit a lot of people including myself, have blown it out of proportion of what it should be.
 

vonFiedler

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I don't get why the anger is directed towards Fine Bros. It seems like the same story as with Martin Shkreli.
Aside from this all things considered being pretty insignificant compared to someone price-hiking aids medicine what was it in the ballpark of 1000%, you seem to be saying this as if that's an example where anger wasn't justifiable.
 
I don't get why the anger is directed towards Fine Bros. It seems like the same story as with Martin Shkreli. The copyright system is broken in so many industries. Anger should be directed at the system that gives people 100% control for no reason.

If they try to copyright "react," they should be just laughed at. There shouldn't be any chance of them actually being successful (but it seems they are?).
Martin Shkreli attempted 100% legal mass murder, so I don't see why we can't be mad at both him and the system that enables it.
 
I stand neutral on this. Both parties are wrong. I love TheFineBros, I love watching their videos. But they didn't say this right, are denying a lot, and are taking down videos unfairly. What they are doing is all wrong. React World could of been great...

Meanwhile, I think everyone complaining about this is doing it badly. Instead of disliking every video and unsubscribing, why don't you actually tell them why you think they are wrong. Provide a solution. Do something BETTER than thinking up names like, TheSwineBros, NotSoFineBros, etc. Those were actual names someone was thinking up for a hashtag. Be more mature about this everyone.

I'm still going to watch their videos. I like the React channel. One of my favorites. But I'm concerned where all of this is going.


EDIT: Here's some of the hate that will get them no where.
 
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tehy

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I stand neutral on this. Both parties are wrong. I love TheFineBros, I love watching their videos. But they didn't say this right, are denying a lot, and are taking down videos unfairly. What they are doing is all wrong. React World could of been great...

Meanwhile, I think everyone complaining about this is doing it badly. Instead of disliking every video and unsubscribing, why don't you actually tell them why you think they are wrong. Provide a solution. Do something BETTER than thinking up names like, TheSwineBros, NotSoFineBros, etc. Those were actual names someone was thinking up for a hashtag. Be more mature about this everyone.

I'm still going to watch their videos. I like the React channel. One of my favorites. But I'm concerned where all of this is going.
We think they are wrong because they attempted to fuck a ton of people over and get rich off of doing so. It wasn't a mistake at all.

The solution is that they stop being shitheads, but people generally don't change like that. So...
 
We think they are wrong because they attempted to fuck a ton of people over and get rich off of doing so. It wasn't a mistake at all.

The solution is that they stop being shitheads, but people generally don't change like that. So...

I said my piece. I don't agree with what they're doing, but I'm not going on a crusade insulting them and bringing their entire career down. Hopefully it will be resolved.
 

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Aside from this all things considered being pretty insignificant compared to someone price-hiking aids medicine what was it in the ballpark of 1000%, you seem to be saying this as if that's an example where anger wasn't justifiable.
The medicine that got price-hiked is called Daraprim, which is used to treat toxoplasmosis - which generally shows no symptoms and is pretty benign unless you're immune-compromised (i.e. AIDS or really any kind of immunodeficiency). Not that it makes Martin Shkreli's actions in any way justifiable, but still, it's not, strictly speaking, an AIDS drug.

On-topic: The case of The Fine Bros, from what I know about it, seems to me to be a symptom of a far larger problem: Copyright zealotry. Know how Disney & other corporations lobbied to extend copyright protections in the US just to keep Mickey Mouse out of the public domain? Like that, this is obviously pretty overzealous, but they diverge in that Disney was actively pushing to change the law just so they could keep Mickey Mouse under copyright protection for a few more years, while here we have a problem we've let slide for far too long in allowing people to abuse vaguely defined and potentially fraudulent (you remember how Warner Bros. had been claiming copyright on a public domain song for decades?) copyright claims to basically be able to abuse the system for greed. I'm not trying to rationalize this in anyway (quite the contrary), but maybe this case shows us that maybe it's time to stop putting up with vaguely defined copyright claims?

HelenTheHero Uhh, I have no idea what you're saying. People have every right to unsubscribe from them. If someone doesn't agree with their copyright zealotry, then they can and should unsubscribe from their channel to send that message. If someone doesn't agree with GAP abusing sweatshop labor, they're free to not buy their clothes, and if someone doesn't agree with The Fine Bros' copyright abuse, they're free to not subscribe to their channel. Freedom of association.
 
-snipbecauseidontknowhowtotagstill-

Yeah, I worded that wrong. Nothing wrong with unsubscribing as you said, it's their right. I just don't like people going back to the videos, disliking them out of existence, insulting them, etc. You've already unsubscribed, that counts. There's no need to start flame wars in the comment sections and posting copy pasted comments like; "I came. I disliked. I left." over and over. Just don't view the video itself. I'm not sure if views still count if you don't watch the entire video, but those seconds people spend to post a useless comment probably do count. Even if you dislike the video, they still get your view.
 

Plus

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Many people have already told them the main issues that they need to and have failed to address: What distinguishes their format from the rest of the genre? What do they have to say about taking down videos of reactions that were not within the realm of their 'format'?

The Fine Bros are being exposed for their greed and make most of their revenue off of sponsors, not YouTube adsense. Still, unsubbing, dislikes, and negative comments on their social media and YouTube channel will draw attention to their sponsors, and some may back out of their sponsorships because of all the negative attention their channel is getting. I doubt that they'll lose over 1 million subscribers over this, but the point is that negative feedback on the internet (while not directly translating to a truckload of lost $$$ insofar as adsense) definitely has repercussions in the long run.

tl;dr is that hateful comments still have an impact and serve a purpose, probably even moreso than disliking and unsubbing because they show up on the top of the comments section on each video. Sure, they may look and sound stupid, but they aren't pointless by any means. It's an active form of rebellion against a media production company that thrives off of positive publicity.

edit: This is probably off-topic and just attacking the Fine Bros for being weird as shit, but I just found this. most yt celebrities aren't funny at all, but this is straight up wack (warning nsfw)
 

Bughouse

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What the trademark does not do: Prevent others from making reaction videos or require them to pay a fee to do so. At all. Trademarks just don't do that.

What the trademark does: Prevent the use of "React" in the name of the video (without paying a fee), if it is a substantially similar video to their "format."

The first huge issue here is that "React" is not something they came up with. Reaction videos (with react usually in the title) existed before them and are common. If they had a trademark on "reactical" or some other made up word, there would be absolutely no issue here. The second issue is that their supposed "format" is really no different than plenty of other reaction videos out there. You show people a thing, film them reacting to it, then ask them extra questions after. Hardly revolutionary. Most any well-produced reaction video series would by definition infringe on a trademark this vague.

So would this trademark actually work? Well, the issue really isn't whether their trademark is legally enforceable. It probably isn't. I am pretty sure that most judges would not uphold the trademark "React" in the context of entertainment videos. It's too generic. (That said, I'm not positive. Coca-Cola did win the right to "Zero" as a trademark in beverages, so that there couldn't be Pepsi Zero, for example.)

The bigger issue is that having an issued trademark is all Google needs to hear in order to take down "infringing" videos, whether or not it's legally enforceable. With the word react trademarked, they can get basically any video that potentially infringes on their vague, broad trademark taken down. So until someone who has their video taken down (it has to be an injured party, not a random bystander) tries to sue to say that the trademark was wrongly granted, they have a de facto monopoly because Google will continue to enforce it until it is proven wrong. This legal process could very well take years, even if they did eventually lose. And who's really going to sue over that? Lawyers cost money. Small youtube creators can't fight that.


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Many people have already told them the main issues that they need to and have failed to address: What distinguishes their format from the rest of the genre? What do they have to say about taking down videos of reactions that were not within the realm of their 'format'?

The Fine Bros are being exposed for their greed and make most of their revenue off of sponsors, not YouTube adsense. Still, unsubbing, dislikes, and negative comments on their social media and YouTube channel will draw attention to their sponsors, and some may back out of their sponsorships because of all the negative attention their channel is getting. I doubt that they'll lose over 1 million subscribers over this, but the point is that negative feedback on the internet (while not directly translating to a truckload of lost $$$ insofar as adsense) definitely has repercussions in the long run.

tl;dr is that hateful comments still have an impact and serve a purpose, probably even moreso than disliking and unsubbing because they show up on the top of the comments section on each video. Sure, they may look and sound stupid, but they aren't pointless by any means. It's an active form of rebellion against a media production company that thrives off of positive publicity.

edit: This is probably off-topic and just attacking the Fine Bros for being weird as shit, but I just found this. most yt celebrities aren't funny at all, but this is straight up wack (warning nsfw)
Fam, they're already at almost 1 mill lost. They had 14.7 million 3 days ago, now they're around 13.8 or 13.7
 
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