Reddit is a fickle community. For some, it's the source of viral internet fame. For others it's the origin point of a witch hunt. And right now all cannons are pointed at YouTube channel Fine Bros. Entertainment.

Fine Bros. Entertainment is a video production company known for its "reaction" videos on YouTube. "Kids react to Harlem Shake" and "Teens react to Gangam Style" are among their most popular with over 33 million views each. The channel was created in 2007, and has collected over 3.8 billion total views.

The Fine Bros./Reddit conflict started on January 26, when channel founders Rafi and Benny Fine uploaded a video announcing "React World" — a program that allows people and companies to license Fine Bros. shows and "create their own versions in a fully legal way."

Reddit Takes Hold

Reddit user Austin_Rivers posted the announcement to /r/videos, saying: "The Fine Bros from YouTube are now attempting to copyright 'reaction videos' (something that has existed before they joined YouTube) and are claiming that other reaction videos are infringing on their intellectual property."

The Reddit post drove traffic — and critics — to the Fine Bros. YouTube channel. Austin_Rivers updated their comment on Reddit, writing: "Attention: The Fine Bros. have an entire staff watching their comment section and are quickly deleting comments that are criticizing them for what they are doing."

Screenshots of the YouTube comments before and after alleged censorship were uploaded to Imgur.

The Fine Bros. themselves chimed in, linking to a Facebook post they wrote explaining their intentions. The comment was downvoted over 5000 times, effectively burying it in the conversation.

A slew of new Reddit posts began rolling in. Some were videos of YouTubers making their own meta "reaction" videos to the announcement, while others created livestream sites to watch the Fine Bros. lose YouTube subscribers in real time.

The channel started at 14.3 million. In three days it lost 400,000 subscribers.

The /r/videos subreddit moderators created a custom tag ("React Related") for any Fine Bros. related content. Currently more than half of /r/videos' front page is "React Related" content.

The Fine Bros. React

On January 31, the Fine Bros. uploaded a new video titled "Update" explaining their perspective.

"The confusion and negative response over what [React World] is has been so overwhelming and we realized that we completely screwed up with how we originally talked about this," they said.

The Fine Bros. also addressed the trademark issues. Redditors had found a public notice of the Fine Bros.' trademark application for the term "react."

The "Update" video has since been deleted. Fine Bros. Entertainment One of their YouTube channels is hosted at www.youtube.com/react. "We’re trying to protect [the channel] and not run the risk of losing our channel name thanks to someone else getting the trademark," they explained.

The Fine Bros. also said they were never trying to control the entire genre of reaction videos, nor did they plan on using a trademark to attack others. "When we referenced licensing the 'react' format, we only meant our specific series — not the overall genre of reaction videos."

But, for now, Redditors don't seem to be backing down. One of the top "React Related" posts on Reddit right now is an edited version of the "Update" video, made to sound as though the Fine Bros. have every intention of claiming the "reaction genre" for their own.

Other top posts include YouTuber Dan Olson's explanation of why the Fine Bros. video format is too broad of a concept to be copyrighted. Olson "React World" is a way for Fine Bros. to crowdsource content from their own fans and profit (their licensing agreement states that Fine Bros. would recieve around 30% of the revenue). He calls the system a "gross and exploitative" form of "racketeering."

The latest update from the Fine Bros. Facebook page states: "We are in no way claiming reaction content in general is our intellectual property. This is purely a voluntary program for people wanting direct support from us, and we continue to be so excited to work with all of you who may want to participate."

Tech Insider reached out to Fine Bros. Entertainment for comment, and will update this post if we hear back.