Today I watched a video about a youtuber named braindeadlyeu who is under contract with machinima. His video that he made today is starting to go viral and basically shows that under the machinima contract, you are signed with them for life. That's crazy right? The kid didn't read his whole contract and is now basically not willing to make anymore videos for his channel because of this.

Here's the original video.

It's sad to see a kid lose his passion for making videos online, but it's his own fault. You always have to read everything that you are going to sign and even have someone else look it over to make sure everything looks good. Now the kid is screwed. I made a response to his video that pretty much sums up how the situation has opened everyone's eyes and could prevent other's from falling into the same fate.

In response to braindeadlyeu's video, machinima has been losing subscribers that have been reported to being around 1,000 an hour.

Wow... I didn't really like machinima too much lately because they just post CoD gameplay, but this... is BS on the level of Activision and the like.

Who would have sympathy for this stupid kid?

If you are going to sign something that is actually important then you get someone to read it over.

He agreed to it.

This just in: Most companies are evil.
 
I'm with @SuperSambo: on this, you need to read contracts because this shit happens all the bloody time, if you let it.

He signed the contract, his fault, 0 sympathy.

One less person making shitty YouTube videos?

Thanks, Machinima!

You look nothing like your avatar. You, sir, are a fraud!

Guys. Always, always, ALWAYS read what you sign.

Like, seriously. Just assume that whoever wants you to sign something is evil (becasue he/she probably IS) and freaking read it.

You look nothing like your avatar. You, sir, are a fraud!

They let Hutch leave without a problem?

@EuanDewar said:

the powers that Rocco inherited are NOW MINE

I'm not willing to make a judgement on the details of the contract, as all we're given is a thirty-second video from one of the parties.

Taken at face value:

Guy: You wouldn't hand your credit card to a stranger, so you shouldn't have handed you-didn't-read-what to a company. Yeah, it sucks. You let it suck.

Company: You should renegotiate the contract. You aren't going to get high quality content from someone who isn't happy in their work.

@TaliciaDragonsong said:

This just in: Most companies are evil.

They're just trying to make money any way they can, within legal boundaries. That describes pretty much everybody, from the CEOs of major corporations to the guy working at McDonalds. We're all skidgy.

@AjayRaz: This video is hugely relevant to us allllll

@MikeGosot said:

@BraveToaster said:

You look nothing like your avatar. You, sir, are a fraud!

So you're saying you are a Toaster?

A mighty Brave one!

Also: there is, to quote Jay4randomnumbersherebecauseIcan'tbebotheredlookinguphisname, LITERALLY nothing worse on the Internet than YouTube videos of some prick staring into a webcam providing their completely inane opinion on something.

It is the most self-indulgent bullshit, and (once again channeling Jay) and is LITERALLY LIKE THAT TIME EA WENT AND MADE PILLS OUT OF DEAD BABIES INSTEAD OF CHANGING THE MASS EFFECT 3 ENDING BECAUSE OUTRAGE GRRRR

@TaliciaDragonsong: Aw, sweet!

You've no idea how awesome it is to see a complete stranger on the internet say something positive about personal responsibility.

Call me an internet noob but what exactly is Machinima? Anyone care to explain?

@MikeGosot said:

@BraveToaster said:

You look nothing like your avatar. You, sir, are a fraud!

So you're saying you are a Toaster?

A mighty Brave one!

@themangalist said:

Call me an internet noob but what exactly is Machinima? Anyone care to explain?

http://bit.ly/KNoth1

@themangalist said:

Call me an internet noob but what exactly is Machinima? Anyone care to explain?

They produce video game-based web content of all sorts. Well, mostly they just sign producers and pay them a cut of their advertising revenue. The name is derived from the portmanteau of the same name, which is basically a narrative told through footage of a video game (eg: Red vs. Blue)

@MikeGosot said:

@BraveToaster said:

@MikeGosot said:

@BraveToaster said:

You look nothing like your avatar. You, sir, are a fraud!

So you're saying you are a Toaster?

A mighty Brave one!

Well, i can't say i am a mouth.

The deceit! Unfollow.

@SSully said:

@themangalist said:

Call me an internet noob but what exactly is Machinima? Anyone care to explain?

http://bit.ly/KNoth1

Oh.

I'm talking about the nature of the company. Is it youtube based? How does it make money and what do people get from signing a contract with them? What are the terms of the contract, like how often do you have to put out a video? Does it totally run on a different business model? Please enlighten me.

@themangalist said:

@SSully said:

@themangalist said:

Call me an internet noob but what exactly is Machinima? Anyone care to explain?

http://bit.ly/KNoth1

Oh.

I'm talking about the nature of the company. Is it youtube based? How does it make money and what do people get from signing a contract with them? What are the terms of the contract, like how often do you have to put out a video? Does it totally run on a different business model? Please enlighten me.

Enlighten yourself. The number of times I see I people wanting others to do their research is amazing. Google. It's amazing. Bing. Equally so.

@SuperSambo said:

Who would have sympathy for this stupid kid?

If you are going to sign something that is actually important then you get someone to read it over.

He agreed to it.

This. Also it's the kids fault for losing passion not machinima. He could still make videos AND MONEY by making videos, if you can't get out of the contract then go with it and not make a bitchy video on youtube.

@BraveToaster said:

@MikeGosot said:

@BraveToaster said:

You look nothing like your avatar. You, sir, are a fraud!

So you're saying you are a Toaster?

A mighty Brave one!

I'm now picturing your avatar enthusiastically using a computer, and it's high-larious. Thanks for that.

Guy makes dumb mistake, pays consequences, looking forward to the movie.

Contracts are written in such a way as to be very hard to understand for the layperson, and hiring a lawyer doesn't make financial sense for most people. I don't blame this person one bit for biting as soon as somebody offered him money to keep doing his hobby. That's just natural. Who's really at fault? The business who deliberately tricks and exploits people or the hapless kids who jump at what sounds like a great opportunity, only to realize later that it wasn't so great? I think it's a really shitty attitude to put all the blame on the person with no power.

My guess is that if what this guy is saying is the truth, then Machinima was far from forthcoming about the particulars of the agreement, and the contract would hopefully not hold up in court. I don't even think a lifetime contract is legal in any civilized country.

Yeeeeeeeeeeah, signing a contract without reading it is one of the dumbest things you can do!

HAY GUYS SO I GOT A CONTRACT BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT RITE LOL?
 
Hay is for horses, and contracts are for adults capable of reading.

Always read the fine print. Always.

So here's a question.  Exactly what was the contract, and what was the grounds for breaking it?  It was never specified in the video, and all I can gather is it says this guy is stuck working for Machinima for life?  That doesn't exactly sound enforceable as no court of law is going to go with it.

So here's a question.  Exactly what was the contract, and what was the grounds for breaking it?  It was never specified in the video, and all I can gather is it says this guy is stuck working for Machinima for life?  That doesn't exactly sound enforceable as no court of law is going to go with it.

So does the contract state that he cannot make any WoW videos outside of the Machinima youtube channel for whatever reason until the end of time? Yeah good luck to Machinima in enforcing such a contract. Sure it cannot be understated that you should always "read the derping contract" but from what little info there is, this kind of contract sounds unenforceable on so many levels, especially in the UK.

@AjayRaz said:

@EuanDewar said:

the powers that Rocco inherited are NOW MINE

Subscribing to Rocco was one of the best youtube related decisions I have made.

That contract is unenforceable. Contracts can't be in perpetuity. Contracts have renewal periods. Contracts can't apply 'throughout the universe'. Contracts have to honour the laws of the land. Either that's not the real contract or Machinima are not taking themselves seriously.

It would almost seem like despite how nothing on the internet is real or actually exists, a contract regarding internet material is serious business.

This sucks balls for him, but at least now he won't get screwed on a mortgage agreement later in life.

Are life long contracts even posible??? That sounds like blatant slavery to me .... or he may be smart and start doing a shit job and get fired ... easy way out me thinks .... tho I should read the contract for the specifics
 
 
Edit: Read the contract..... he is screwed , unless California Law does not allow perpetual contracts , but I asume because of the Hollywood thing it is so , damn he should´ve read it better and Machinima is really an asshole on the whole contract , I didn´t saw a tangible benefit for signing that contract (outside of money , but the real amount is never disclosed so it could be  an awfull pay for all I care)

@Stete said:

So does the contract state that he cannot make any WoW videos outside of the Machinima youtube channel for whatever reason until the end of time? Yeah good luck to Machinima in enforcing such a contract. Sure it cannot be understated that you should always "read the derping contract" but from what little info there is, this kind of contract sounds unenforceable on so many levels, especially in the UK.

This is pretty much exact what I'm thinking, you can't hold someone to an eternal contract, most likely Machinima owns his Youtube channel and all of the content posted there which is completely reasonable, they supported him in building it's popularity so they should have ownership on it if that is what he agreed to.

edit: Wow, I just watched a few of his videos, they aren't machinima, it's just him doing arenas in WoW and talking shit, who subscribes to that? Good riddance.

I'm pretty sure it is illegal to have a lifetime contract. I also believe that the fact he is in another country helps him out because no way in hell is Machinima gonna pay international fees and crap.

From the sounds of it, really does not matter if he read it because it seems to be an illegal contract anyways. Most people they sign are naive kids so Machinima has been able to get away with it. Until now. Reddit is going crazy over this.

Found this:
 
"California law exemplifies the opposite approach.  Under California law, “a contract may, by its express terms, provide for a term of duration of indefinite length and without specific limitation, tied not to the calendar but to the conduct of the contracting parties.”  Zee Med. Distrib. Ass’n. v. Zee Med., Inc., 94 Cal. Rptr. 2d 829, 833 (Ct. App. 2000).  In examining contract terms establishing duration, California law calls for a three step analysis: (1) whether there is an “express term” of duration; (2) if not, whether a term of duration “can be implied from the nature and circumstances of the contract”; and (3) if neither an express nor implied term is found, the contract will be “construe[d] as terminable at will.”  Id. at 835.  A provision stating that a contract shall continue “until grounds arise for termination is a valid, express contractual term of duration.”  Id. at 836.  Thus, if a contract sets forth grounds for termination, it will be construed as containing an express term of duration and is not terminable absent the establishment of one of these stated grounds. "
 
at this place: http://www.wileyrein.com/publications.cfm?sp=articles&id=2310
 
What I can infer that he is indeed screwed up , because there is a set time for the contract ... even if it is "eternal" it is specified .... sucks to be that dude

I don't feel too much sympathy for him because I don't know him and it's not the worst thing in the world, but what I am in awe about is that Machinima has lifetime contracts. Now that's bullshit and I hope they fall on their ass because of this.

@Stete said:

So does the contract state that he cannot make any WoW videos outside of the Machinima youtube channel for whatever reason until the end of time? Yeah good luck to Machinima in enforcing such a contract. Sure it cannot be understated that you should always "read the derping contract" but from what little info there is, this kind of contract sounds unenforceable on so many levels, especially in the UK.

My sympathy level for this guy is low. I mean they are paying him to create youtube videos...something thousands of people do for free (and something he was doing for free before he was offered the contract). They offered him a legal document and he willingly signed. I don't understand how this 'ruins his passion' either, if anything it just gives him a wider audience for his videos.

Let me point out the feedback that will come from this community.

1. Community will be pissed because of what said company does.
2. Community will post many things wrong with said company within the next week.
3. Community will get tired of everyone posting about said company.
4. Community will start sticking up for said company and ignore everything that said company has done wrong.
5. Rinse and repeat.

And this is why companies get away with stuff like this.

@Turambar said:

So here's a question.  Exactly what was the contract, and what was the grounds for breaking it?  It was never specified in the video, and all I can gather is it says this guy is stuck working for Machinima for life?  That doesn't exactly sound enforceable as no court of law is going to go with it.

Contract is here.  And on Page 3  is the thing he apparantly didn't read, I dunno. 

That contract is unenforceable. Contracts can't be in perpetuity. Contracts have renewal periods. Contracts can't apply 'throughout the universe'. Contracts have to honour the laws of the land. Either that's not the real contract or Machinima are not taking themselves seriously.

That sucks, he should have read. Seriously, the whole clause about them having rights to his shit throughout the entire universe forever is just insane.

A 'lifetime' contract won't hold up in court and when I was offered a partnership with them, it stated that either side could terminate the contract at any time, though that may have changed over time. The fact remains, every legal contract must have a termination clause and that clause can only hold legitimate penalties. ie. Machinima doesn't own Youtube, they are not allowed to sue him over technology they don't own, nor police. They are not allowed to bind him to those types of constrictions. Legally, it would never hold up and the bad PR is going to kick them in the ass. They need to make right with him and try to hold on to what dignity they have left before all of their 14 year old 'producers' turn around and decide to worship this kid.