YouTubers Benny and Rafi Fine are known for making “reaction videos”—basically, people are filmed reacting to things. Millions have flocked to their popular channel The Fine Bros to watch clips such as Elders React to Twerking, Cats React To Viral Videos and Teens React To 90s Internet.

Some videos are poignant (Kids React To Gay Marriage), while most are mildly entertaining, and the brothers have been able turn the format into a recognizable series. But they recently set off an Internet revolt that has led them to lose roughly 7,500 YouTube subscribers an hour.

The offense? Fine Brothers Entertainment registered a trademark for the word “react” under “entertainment services, namely, providing an on-going series of programs and webisodes via the Internet in the field of observing and interviewing various groups of people.”

Writes attorney Ryan Morrison, known on Reddit as VideoGameAttorney: “That’s a lot of legalese for ‘making YouTube videos.’ If you make reaction videos, which a lot of YouTubers do, you are potentially in a lot of trouble.”

The backlash started after the Fine Bros announced the launch of React World, a franchising program that would grant content creators licenses to make their own renditions of the shows. Many people saw the move as a greedy, underhanded way of trying to monopolize the market. “Had the Fine Bros kept quiet for another month, they almost certainly would have gotten this trademark, as no one seemed to notice it,” Morrison explains. “Instead, they announced their ridiculous licensing program and turned all eyes on them.”

According to Morrison, the Fine Bros have already issued a plethora of cease and desist letters, and sent their fans to blast The Ellen Show for this reaction bit.

If it is, a shame to not have @thellenshow reach out to us vs. just fully taking it as their own. This happens too often. — thefinebros (@thefinebros) September 19, 2014

In addition to “react,” Fine Bros Entertainment were also pursuing a trademark for other titles in their series, including “teens react,” “kids react,” “elders react,” “parents react,” “celebrities react” and “adults react.”

Here’s how redditors reacted. (Er, responded? Don’t sue us.)

“Found a react video from 1901,” wrote Beetin. “Hopefully the good people over at Fine Bros can get [it] taken down soon.”

“I’m sorry Fine Bros but Beavis and Butthead invented reaction videos!” wrote brainhack3r.

Morrison is a New York City gamer turned lawyer who often helps fellow redditors navigate legal protection issues in Reddit’s Gamedev community. He decided to offer pro bono help to content creators who oppose the move because he was “extra pissed about this one.”

“When the react world video launched, I got a lot of emails and PMs,” he tells Upvoted. “I was at (gaming festival) PAX when I realized it really was as bad as it looked, and made a quick video explaining what we’d be doing. I never expected it to blow up like it did. I’m a gamer and a fan of free speech on the Internet. I’m not going to let someone own a genre when I literally have a license that lets me stop them.”

Morrison arranged to file a public opposition and had “well over a thousand creators wanting to join.” He says it was “inspiring to see so many people working together towards making a change, instead of just trolling.”

On Monday, Morrison posted an update on Reddit:

“The Fine Brothers have sent me proof that they have abandoned or surrendered every trademark in question,” he wrote. “They heard our collective voice, and they responded.”

He added: “Benny Fine has given me proof that they surrendered registration of TEENS REACT and KIDS REACT, and they have abandoned their applications for ELDERS REACT, REACT, PARENTS REACT, CELEBRITIES REACT, ADULTS REACT, TRY NOT TO LAUGH, LYRIC BREAKDOWN, KIDS VS FOOD, DO THEY KNOW IT, and PEOPLE VS TECHNOLOGY.

That means they’ve abandoned ALL marks that were in question.”

The Fine Brothers have released this apology.

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. We have decided to do the following: 1. Rescind all of our “React” trademarks and applications.* 2. Discontinue the React World program. 3. Release all past Content ID claims. [YouTube’s copyright system that automatically flags content that looks like or sounds like copyrighted content.]

Morrison wrote that he’ll keep on the issue.

He added that he didn’t want the situation to turn people anti-trademark (“Protecting your hard work and branding are good!” he writes), but felt that in case case, it was an attempt to “police a genre.” He also encouraged people to let go of the attacks.