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Comment by exelius | Hacker News Reader

IMO this is the video equivalent of a lot of the early Internet software patents. They took something that was a natural evolution of a larger community and tried to seize the intellectual property around it. I'm not even sure that what they were trying to trademark would be a valid trademark.

But beyond that, WTF were they thinking? On YouTube, your viewers are younger kids who are also creating their own videos. If they're really a fan of your content, they're going to copy you - shamelessly. Did they really think their viewers were just going to sign over royalties from their videos to the Fine Bros and not be pissed off about it? Is it really a good idea as an entertainer to go after your most dedicated fans?

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They never went after their fans. That's the hypothetical scenarios most people were afraid of. They had one angry twit against Ellen, they had some weird take down (which didn't need theses trademarks either).

All I've seen them trying is to allow people to legitimately do a copy of their show. I wouldn't never try to copy that format, I wouldn't be afraid to make my own "react to" but I would try to be different, original, with the concept. Having access to their format, their contents, etc... that could be a good way to try, to start, a way that I wouldn't dare taking because of copyright, but would be interesting for simply 20% of literally not much revenue.

Stopping React World does nothing else than stopping legitimate copy...

You can do all of this today without their branding though. Or their permission. It's not like being associated with them is going to get you much credibility when it's an open system.

Nothing is stopping you from making a total rip off of their show and its format today - and you don't need to get permission or pay royalties. That's how it should be; it's not like anyone is using copyrighted characters.

The react format is not original. It predates FineBros by some years. Even the name being "X reacts to y" predates FineBros. It could not be more unoriginal.

But what Fine was doing was claiming that people were copying them and then trying to lock up the format behind their trademarks.

It's like if you invented the wheel and people started also making wheels, and then I came along and started claiming everyone stole it from me several decades later.

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