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Turner Tenney, a 21-year-old professional known as Tfue, says FaZe Clan is breaking California law and the Talent Agency Act.
One of the world's largest esport professionals continues to gamble for allegedly curtailing business opportunities – and earning up to 80% of its revenue – in a claim that representatives of esports should be regulated as agents of movie and television stars.
Turner Tenney, a 21-year-old professional player known as Tfue, sued FaZe Clan on Monday for allegedly limiting his ability to practice his profession in violation of California law, by ceding a lucrative brand deal in because of a conflict of interest pay him his share of sponsorship revenue.
"In clear terms, these players are artists, artists and content creators: they play, they act, they realize, they go up and they broadcast," writes Freedman + Taitelman's lawyer Bryan Freedman in the complaint . Unlike traditional entertainment, esport is a new industry, and Freedman argues that there is "virtually no regulation or oversight" and no union or guild protects players who are often young and confident.
There is a lot of money to be won. In December, Tyler Blevins, known for his Ninja name, told CNN that he had reported $ 10 million last year. Fortnite. He has over 20 million subscribers on YouTube and has collected more than 450 million views on Twitch. His sponsors include Samsung, Uber Eats and Red Bull.
Meanwhile, Tenney says that he is missing these opportunities because of the illegal activity of FaZe Clan under a contract that he signed in April 2018 – and that he was not able to do so. it retains only 20% of all Twitch, YouTube or social media branded videos and half of its revenue from touring and appearances. Its Twitch feeds have been viewed more than 120 million times, and it has more than 10 million subscribers to YouTube and 5.5 million Instagram followers.
"This player agreement is extremely oppressive, expensive and biased," writes Freedman. "The Faze clan uses its illegal player contracts to limit Tenney to transactions exclusively from Faze Clan and to prevent Tenney from exploring transactions presented by others, potentially higher than Faze Clan's 80%) of the researcher's fees. "
Tenney attempted to terminate the deal in September by claiming that FaZe Clan had breached their contract. According to the complaint, the group rejected Tenney's termination and claims that he is still bound by their contract. Tenney is asking the court to declare the termination of the player's contract and demands fair payment for his services, as well as restitution of punitive profits and punitive damages from the Faze Clan.
Meanwhile, Freedman asserts that Tenney's contract is not only anti-competitive, but that the company also violates the Talent Agencies Act because of its practice of obtaining commitments and jobs for players. The law of the state requires that any person or company "that carries out activities of recruitment, offer, promise or attempt of employment or hiring of an artist "is approved by the labor commissioner and complies with professional regulations. Its definition of the term "artist" includes "persons rendering professional services in film, theater, radio, television and other entertainment enterprises".
On March 15, Freedman filed a complaint against Tfue's TAA against the California labor commissioner – and Tenney says FaZe Clan's contracts are perhaps the least of his problems.
"Not only does Faze Clan benefit from these young artists, but it also endangers their health, safety and well-being," writes Freedman in the controversial petition. According to Tenney, the FaZe clan has pressured him to live in one of his homes in Hollywood Hills with other young YouTubers, where he would have consumed alcohol before his 21 years and encouraged to play illegally.
"Faze Clan has also consistently lobbied and encouraged Tenney and others to undertake dangerous stunts when making videos," writes Freedman. "During a video, Tenney was injured in the arm while skateboarding, which resulted in permanent disfigurement."
The petition to the labor commissioner by Tenney also claims that FaZe Clan has signed an 11-year-old player and is pressuring the miner and his family to lie about his age. He claims that it is determined that FaZe Clan violated the TAA, that his player's contract is inapplicable and that the company must repay him all the income that he has collected through his work.
"Tfue and my law firm send a message," Freedman said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "Now is the time for content creators, players and banners to stop being exploited through oppressive, unjust and illegal agreements." The major legal actions taken today are To wake up the danger that this behavior is no longer tolerated The community of players deserves a safe environment that gives players the freedom to control their own career. "
FaZe Clan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the complaint and the petition below.
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