The Fine Brothers, the popular YouTubers who have "React" videos to their credit, were in the eye of a storm after they revealed that they intended to trademark the term "react," which is commonly used by Internet content creators.
Faced with immense Internet backlash for the move, the YouTubers have now retracted and said that they no longer intend to trademark the term. Benny and Rafi Fine have not only issued an apology, but also pulled down the video that had the original announcement. The trademark application update that followed has also been removed.
The "React" video format usually involves several people, such as a group of children or seniors, who are shown a video or an object and then a discussion around it ensues. The format is immensely popular and even talk shows such as "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" have deployed it.
The Fine Brothers announced last week that they would be licensing "React." Soon they were flooded with criticisms of attempts to monetize.
"Before anyone continue[s] to defend what the Fine Bros are doing, they are just using PR talk to confuse you and pretend like they are 'franchising' their specific brand. No, they are using React World to capture ALL react videos. They are already using their lawyers to bully others who make react videos," says a redditor.
At that time, lawyer Ryan Morrison said that he would aid YouTubers fight the trademark application. The public had a 30-day time window to file their opposition, but it seems it's no longer necessary.
In a public apology, Fine Brothers Entertainment acknowledged the concerns and said that it was understandable if people mistrusted their motives.
"We're here to apologize. We realize we built a system that could easily be used for wrong. We are fixing that. The reality that trademarks like these could be used to theoretically give companies (including ours) the power to police and control online video is a valid concern, and though we can assert our intentions are pure, there's no way to prove them," posted Benny and Rafi Fine.
To alleviate the concerns people have regarding React World, Fine Brothers Entertainment has decided it will discontinue the React World program, as well as release all past Content ID claims. Moreover, it will be withdrawing all the trademarks and applications pertaining to "React," including "Kids React," "Elders React" and "Lyric Breakdown," to name a few.
The company notes that the databases can take time to get updated, but assures that the necessary paperwork for the process has been filed.
The Fine Brothers also let on that they were confident that going forward, their actions would substantiate their claims. Whether the withdrawal of their trademark application is enough to compensate for the bad press remains to be seen.
