TOGETHER WITH

It's Tuesday and something dangerously delicious is coming to Fortnite. Will your squad survive Whataburger’s “Breakfast in Bedwars” tournament? 🍔

PAUL V. FINDEISEN

Logan Paul is suing Coffeezilla for defamation. Will his argument hold up in court?

The lawsuit: Logan Paul is taking Coffeezilla to court. A defamation lawsuit filed by the creator-turned-wrestler argues that investigative YouTuber Stephen Findeisen (aka Coffeezilla) knowingly “perpetuated the false narrative” that Paul “defrauded his own fans” through his CryptoZoo project.

The context: The venture in question was announced by Paul in 2021, and offered buyers “eggs” in exchange for Ethereum (ETH) cryptocurrency. Those eggs were supposed to hatch into creatures of varying value—but the gamified aspect of CryptoZoo never materialized.

• Paul eventually agreed to buy back CryptoZoo purchases for a total of $2.3 million, and then sued co-founders Eduardo Ibanez and Jake Greenbaum.

The allegations: Findeisen has been a vocal critic of CryptoZoo since the project’s early days, when he described Paul as a scammer. The creator has since uploaded at least six related videos, triggering responses from Paul that ranged from threats of legal action to an unexpected apology.

• That apology might have been the end of Paul and Coffeezilla’s feud—if the latter creator had stopped making videos about CryptoZoo.
  
  

• Instead, Paul’s lawsuit claims that Findeisen continued framing him as a con artist “despite knowing it to be…utterly false” and purposely downplayed “scores of contemporaneous internal text messages” showing Paul’s good intentions for CryptoZoo.

The potential outcome: Legal threats are nothing new for Coffeezilla, who has earned a reputation as YouTube’s foremost “internet detective.” But according to commentator Spencer Cornelia and lawyer Rob Freund, Paul’s case might actually hold up in court.

• The key is Findeisen’s alleged knowledge of any falsehoods spread through his videos. In most defamation cases, defendants must prove that untrue statements were premeditated—meaning Findeisen could be in a pickle if Paul’s argument about “internal text messages” rings true.

  🔆 SPONSORED 🔆

In September, the world’s most exclusive creator conference will come to Dallas. Do you have your ticket to VidSummit?

Only one event unites the top 1% of content creators—and in just two short months, VidSummit 2024 is coming to Dallas, Texas. Unlike other creator conferences, VidSummit is an exclusive, unfiltered space for creators, marketers, agencies, and brands to network, learn, and strategize—without the presence of fans.

VidSummit is designed by creators, for creators.

As an industry-only event, VidSummit offers influencers and brands the opportunity to discuss the real details of what they do—from launching creator product lines to building networks that earn millions in AdSense revenue.

In other words: VidSummit is the only event where the creator industry’s leading experts can reveal everything they know.

From September 3-5, dozens of high-profile influencers, brands, and marketers will unite to share rare insights into all corners of the creator economy. Attendees will have the opportunity to:

• Listen in on keynotes from MrBeast, HopeScope, MatPat and Stephanie Patrick, Todd Beaupré, Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie, and Preston Playz. 

• Uncover the secrets of YouTube’s algorithm with Creator Liaison Rene Ritchie. 

• Unlocking Infinite Worlds: The Power of Content Creators with UGC Typical Gamer. 

• Learn how to create best-in-class thumbnails from strategist David Altizer. 

• Turn data into viral videos with ViewStats co-founder Chucky Appleby. 

• And so much more. 

Hit the button below to learn more—and don’t forget to snag your ticket to VidSummit 2024:

Reserve your spot at VidSummit today →

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• Good news, creators: YouTube just unleashed an updated ‘Erase Song’ tool that removes copyrighted music from videos without affecting the rest of the audio. (Tubefilter)
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• Meta blocked news for Facebook users in Canada. A year later, experts say viral misinformation is filling in the gaps. (The Guardian)

• YouTube Music is reportedly testing out a new feature that uses AI to generate personalized radio stations. (TechRadar)
  
  

• Paramount Global and Skydance Media are joining forces. Their combined value after merging: approximately $28 billion. (The Verge)

DATA • GOSPEL STATS 📈

Top 3 Branded Videos: Has AI already turned the web into a wasteland?

It was an unusual week in the world of viral branded videos. AI companies ruled the rankings alongside AI’s biggest critics, while frequent chart-toppers MrBeast, Mark Rober, and Kurzgesagt – In A Nutshell were nowhere to be found.

Check out the Top 3 videos from Gospel Stats’ latest Weekly Brand Report to decide for yourself whether AI is winning or wrecking the internet:

🥇 Drew Gooden x SoFi: AI is ruining the internet
From taking Ninja’s entire Masterclass to exposing the truth of rigged arcade games, Drew Gooden fully commits to his investigations. The creator’s 30-minute takedown of AI is no exception. 

• 4 million viewers can attest to the strength of Gooden’s evidence, which touches on everything from the cannibalization of Google Search to abominations like the AI lady portrayed above.

🥈 sinisterbart x Poly.AI: GOJO MEETS SUPER SENIOR GOJO?!
Poly.AI would probably disagree with the takeaway of Gooden’s video. The seven-year-old company is the sponsor behind sinisterbart’s tenth-ever video, and promises to deliver “the world’s most lifelike voice AI.”

🥉 PewDiePie x Saily: I BROKE the Golden RULE in Minecraft…
PewDiePie didn’t choose a side in this week’s AI wars, but he did experience defeat at the hands (branches?) of a virtual berry bush. The gaming vet reeled in 3 million views for eSIM service Saily by treating viewers to twenty-odd minutes of Minecraft gameplay.

FYI: This Weekly Brand Report is just a sneak peek of everything Gospel Stats has to offer. Check out the full site here for in-depth data on branded partnerships, rising creators, and more.

WATCH THIS 📺

At long last, Agatha All Along is almost here

The trailer: It’s been over three years since the heart-wrenching end of Wandavision left fans desperate for another glimpse of Agatha Harkness. Now, the enchantress herself is finally flying back to Disney+.

• Come September 18, Marvel fans will finally have a chance to see where Agatha ended up post-Wandavision. Based on the show’s latest trailer, we’re sure the villainous spellcaster has plenty of karma coming her way—but with Aubrey Plaza as backup, we’re sure she’ll manage just fine.

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Today's newsletter is from: James Hale, Emily Burton, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen. Drew Baldwin helped edit, too. It's a team effort.