For over 14 years, Caleb Denison has been the face of Digital Trends on YouTube. Over that time he, along with some other hosts, amassed a following of over 1.3 million subscribers on the Digital Trends YouTube channel reviewing and reporting about TVs, soundbars and other tech gear. That all changed last Monday, April 21st when we got word Caleb had quit Digital Trends and launched his own YouTube channel called CalebRated intended for TV reviews and tech product advice.
On a recent podcast we hosted with Caleb, he mentioned the sudden change was all about ownership. He said, “I’ve been making a lot of creative works and I don’t own any of them… It all belongs to somebody else. I am very thankful for the time spent with Digital Trends and I learned a lot while I was there. But I want to run a business the way I want to run a business… around my personal code of priorities and around my strategies of growth and sustainability. And I’m really excited to start a brand from the ground up and to build that identity in a new way.”
Initially all seemed to be going well. Digital Trends even posted on YouTube on April 21st saying that they “wish Caleb the very best as he sets off to do his own venture.” In the first week Caleb published two videos on his channel and quickly gained over 32,000 subscribers. Then suddenly his videos were gone.
Apparently YouTube removed his videos due to a copyright claim from his former employer, Digital Trends.
Although Caleb published the videos on his new YouTube channel after resigning, Digital Trends Media Group submitted a copyright claim to YouTube, which in turn got Caleb’s content pulled off YouTube.
It’s typical for YouTube to remove content in question while it investigates and notifies all parties. So although YouTube hasn’t officially ruled on the situation, they put the burden of recovery on the alleged “copyright violator.” That’s standard YouTube practice. Also not helping Caleb’s case is the newness of his channel, which is up against a nearly 18 year old established YouTube channel.
When asked for comment, an inside source from Digital Trends informed us they were “stunned” to learn of Caleb’s new channel, when they saw his first video appear on April 21, 2025 — just one week after his departure. They also confirmed, Caleb signed an “Proprietary Information, Invention Assignment, and Non-Solicitation agreement” and was provided an opportunity to disclose his future plans and work out an arrangement before exiting. However, no such disclosure occurred. (We should note that such a disclosure is in no way required by law).
In addition, Digital Trends believes Caleb “solicited advertisers and used company equipment in support of his new venture while employed.” The company rep said they noticed that the CalebRated YouTube channel was originally registered (but not used) on February 21, 2025.
Yet, even given these alleged infractions, our Digital Trends’ source assured me they want to work out a deal with Caleb, rather than draw things out further.
As it stands, Caleb Denison cannot use the CalebRated YouTube channel he personally started. Of course, he could potentially dispute the claim outright, or just register a new channel name on YouTube, and start over again. But even if YouTube re-enables his channel, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s in the clear if legal proceedings press on.
When asked for comment, Caleb told us this: “On the advice of legal counsel, I will not reply directly to these claims, but I will say that, in general, I believe they are not rooted in fact.”
A GoFundMe page, “Help Caleb Denison Save His YouTube Channel,” has been co-organized by Rich Shibley and Caleb Denison in order to raise money for legal expenses. Rich was Caleb’s original producer and another big contributor toward Digital Trends’ success on YouTube. He is also a former long term employee of Digital Trends.
We’ll keep this story updated as it unfolds. Feel free to voice your thoughts in the comments below, in the comments on YouTube or across social media.
Correction: The title of Digital Trends’ employment agreement has been corrected above. “Proprietary Information” replaced “Intellectual Property”.
New Developments
Update 4/28: Caleb posts on X.
Update 4/29: It has been confirmed 9 videos from Caleb’s personal YouTube channel called “Caleb Loves Tech” have also just been removed from YouTube for copyright infringement dating back to January 2, 2024. The content in question included off-the-cuff vlog style videos on-the-road or behind-the-scenes moments. Caleb’s personal YouTube channel was registered on April 22, 2010 — 17 months before his employment with Digital Trends began.
Update 4/29: Ian Bell, Founder & CEO of Digital Trends Media Group has issued the following statement:
“Caleb’s personal YouTube channel is still live, and most videos remain accessible — it hasn’t been taken down.”
“That said, starting a business while still employed, especially using company equipment, studio space (that the company paid for), and reaching out to the same advertisers, is problematic in any professional context. If Caleb had chosen to leave first and start fresh with his own setup, this situation might have been avoided entirely.”
“He also signed an invention assignment agreement, confirming he had no side projects to declare. Had he disclosed anything at that time (or within his 14 year career with DT), we could’ve explored how to support or license it.”
“I sincerely wish him success moving forward. This isn’t personal or vindictive — it’s about honoring agreements that every company depends on to operate fairly and protect shared work.”
Update 4/29: Caleb posts on X.
Update 4/30: Ian Bell, Founder & CEO of Digital Trends Media Group responds to commenters in the comment section below.
Update 5/9: Caleb’s GoFundMe page continues to rack up support, reaching over $8,600 in donations. The original goal of $5,000 was changed to $40,000. Caleb posted this update on GoFundMe, “I am overwhelmed by the support and concern that you have shown since the attempts to shut down my new YouTube channel. Unfortunately, it appears I am in for a real David vs. Goliath fight here. With your donation, you’ll be fighting right alongside me to save the channel and get me back to making content soon. If only half of the 33,000+ subscribers I got in just 4 days(!) donate $2.00, that will do it. I appreciate your support and generosity tremendously. Let’s get me back to work.”
Summary of Key Events:
- 2025-02-15 – Caleb Denison registers CalebRated YouTube channel. No content is posted.
- 2025-04-14 – Caleb’s last video while employed at Digital Trends appears on Digital Trends’ YouTube Channel, which was recorded in advance.
- 2025-04-14 – Caleb resigns from Digital Trends effective immediately.
- 2025-04-15 – Caleb registers new company named CD CREATIVE MEDIA LLC in Oregon.
- 2025-04-21 – Digital Trends goodbye message to Caleb appears on YouTube, “we want to wish Caleb the very best”.
- 2025-04-21 – First video on CalebRated YouTube Channel posted with the tile “I Did It”.
- 2025-04-23 – Second video on CalebRated YouTube Channel posted with title, “Thank You/What’s Next”.
- 2025-04-27 – Digital Trends submits copyright claims to a total of 11 videos of Caleb on YouTube, and the CalebRated YouTube channel itself. YouTube then removes 2 of 2 videos from CalebRated and 9 of 19 videos from Caleb Loves Tech.
- 2025-04-29 – Ian Bell, Founder & CEO of Digital Trends Media Group issues first public statement.
Where Things Stand
The ownership of the CalebRated YouTube channel is still under review by YouTube. All videos in question are still removed from public view on YouTube.
Related Links:
Michael Doyle
April 29, 2025 at 2:57 am
They also claimed ownership of his PERSONAL YouTube channel. They’re clearly harassing him in bad faith. They deserve all the bad press they get.
Ian White
April 29, 2025 at 10:34 am
Michael,
His personal channel? This gets better (or worse) by the minute.
IW
Chris Boylan
April 29, 2025 at 4:20 pm
It’s actually kind of bizarre what they’re doing. A YouTube channel name registration does not qualify as an “invention” by any definition of the word. The content (2 videos) was all posted a week or more after he left the company and Caleb even showed in his video that he got rid of all of DT’s old stuff – even the carpet! It’s only because of YouTube’s default state of siding with the copyright complainant that the videos were automatically hidden. Once this is contested and YouTube put on notice of the frivolous claim, this will be very unlikely to happen again. And yes, his personal channel was created over a year before he even joined DT. How could DT own something created before they were in the picture?
Fortunately it seems like Caleb has been meticulous about following the rules and if it does come down to a court battle, Digital Trends will lose what little credibility they had left. Caleb was Digital Trends’ best asset and with the behavior that DT is exhibiting, no one of any talent is going to want to join their team as a replacement.
I’d say their best move is to apologize and move on, but given this type of behavior, that seems unlikely. But hey, at least the lawyers will be happy.
Ian White
April 29, 2025 at 4:32 pm
Are they going to claim ownership of his home movies next?
That doesn’t sound like “wanting to work out a deal” to me.
IW Cochrane
Ian Bell
April 30, 2025 at 10:09 pm
Of course not, that’s just silly thinking Ian.
DCC76 .
May 17, 2025 at 2:50 pm
DT is being petty, but at the same time if Caleb used their equipment to produce his own content, then I really cannot blame DT at all. I will continue to follow both. Good luck to all involved.
Ian Bell
April 30, 2025 at 10:07 pm
I did not claim ownership of his personal channel, it is still live. I only had videos removed where he filmed using our equipment, the studio we paid for or while on a Digital Trends paid trip.
AJ Munn
May 9, 2025 at 1:43 am
So you can take those videos, but he is free to post what ever he wants going forward on Caleb Rated? Right?
kiwibird
May 13, 2025 at 7:38 am
Ian Bell at Digital Trends: You are a disingenuous bully and a vindictive nutcase who’s butthurt over your failure to retain your top talent. You don’t own Caleb’s future work product forever. Indentured servitude is illegal. You represent absolutely everything wrong with corporate America and copyright law. I hope your crappy Digital Trends company with your embarrassing cringe vacuum reviews (with barely 9k views on YouTube) goes bankrupt. Your channels view count is cratering and it’s hilarious to watch.
Jt
April 29, 2025 at 2:59 pm
Digital Trends is starting a fight it cannot win. The only purpose is to harass and bully Caleb. DT will rightfully experience mass un-subbing and boycotting for their disgusting behavior.
Ian White
April 29, 2025 at 3:27 pm
Jeff,
It definitely feels like the weirdest hill for them to die on. Guess losing your talent wasn’t the best move by them.
IW
Asa
April 29, 2025 at 5:27 pm
I can see why he left and why millions of others go it alone to start their own biz (me included).
I’ve never heard of a “disclosure”, but I have seen ‘non-competes’ put into place. The CEO of a company I used to work for was made to sign a year-based non-compete, but in the interim, he put all his ducks in a row, so after the year was up, he hit the ground running w/o repercussion.
My wife and some of her cohorts had something similar happen, but at the end of the day, her and others went forward and just ignored the bullying until it stopped. You find people like this are mostly cowards at heart.
Hope Caleb employed good counsel. I’ve seen low-level employees tasked with sabatoging people like Caleb. Best of luck to him, and thanks for surfacing this.
Ian Bell
April 29, 2025 at 10:03 pm
Caleb’s personal YouTube channel is still live, and most videos remain accessible — it hasn’t been taken down.
That said, starting a business while still employed, especially using company equipment, studio space (that the company paid for), and reaching out to the same advertisers, is problematic in any professional context. If Caleb had chosen to leave first and start fresh with his own setup, this situation might have been avoided entirely.
He also signed an invention assignment agreement, confirming he had no side projects to declare. Had he disclosed anything at that time (or within his 14 year career with DT), we could’ve explored how to support or license it.
I sincerely wish him success moving forward. This isn’t personal or vindictive — it’s about honoring agreements that every company depends on to operate fairly and protect shared work.
Dave Dennett
April 29, 2025 at 11:38 pm
Ian, you picked the wrong hill to die on.
Anton Reaper
April 30, 2025 at 2:43 am
You got that right. Already unfollowed their YT page and have shared this story to my circle.
This is called digging one’s hole deeper and deeper and leaving the shovel for your readership to finish the job on their way out the door.
The PR disaster that didn’t need to happen.
Bill
April 30, 2025 at 5:31 am
What a dumb way to ruin yout brand – move on.
Anton
April 30, 2025 at 11:41 am
Exactly. Awful PR.
Daniela Schneider
April 30, 2025 at 2:40 pm
Now that more info has come out I’m surprised by Calebs side here. I know many people that have worked at Digital Trends and they said he was treated like a celebrity internally, getting jetted around and receiving gifts. Not sure why you would leave sounds like a sweet gig, especially leave in the way he did which just seems irresponsible and unprofessional.
Kahless
April 30, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Jets and gifts don’t pay rent. Most YouTubers with a big enough following can make a lot more money leaving and starting their own thing. Motortrend and donut media both saw the same thing happen. Pay your talent or lose them.
Ian White
April 30, 2025 at 4:35 pm
Daniela,
“I know many people that have worked at Digital Trends and they said he was treated like a celebrity internally, getting jetted around and receiving gifts.” — Can you name them?
In a past life, I worked at Digital Trends and your comment raised an eyebrow. If being “jetted around” means that he was sent to cover stories which was his job — then sure. Does being sent to industry events to cover new TV launches and visit manufacturers count as being “jetted” around? I can name 20 industry editors who get such treatment.
Do you have evidence that he “received gifts?” Please share it if you do. This is not a platform for sharing hearsay.
Ian White
Chris Boylan
April 30, 2025 at 5:03 pm
Ian, there is no “Daniella Schneider.” DM me and I’ll show you how we know. But we can let this play out, for now. One way to try to sway the conversation is fake accounts. But technology is our friend here.
Michael Drucker
April 30, 2025 at 6:06 am
Well, respect to you for not hiding behind anonymity and putting your position out there, Ian. I doubt you decided to post this on a whim, and like many things, the truth is likely in the middle. Look forward to the dust settling.
I’ve read a lot of the back and forth and it’s messy all around. Been a big fan of Digital Trends’ and a big fan of Caleb’s for a while. Unpopular opinion because I get it, everyone wants to “stick it to the man,” but watching him play the victim is off-putting. I started my own business and it’s hard. Dealing with legal issues is a part of the game. If he’s lucky enough to make it, this will not be his last legal dispute. Hopefully he doesn’t need a gofundme each time it happens :/
The thought has crossed my mind…absolute hats-off to both of you if this was all a theatrical and coordinated effort to grab headlines for both DT and Caleb. WWE style! Surely there is a happy ending somewhere?
Jeremy Anderson
April 30, 2025 at 5:31 pm
I have a few problems with your argument, Ian:
1. He did not “start a business” while still employed with you. A quick search of public records shows that his new business was not formed until after he left DT. He appears to have performed no acts of commerce until that time, including the creation and publishing of content. Creating a social media account does not qualify as “starting a business” under any applicable law.
2. Invention assignment agreements historically do not cover the creation of social media accounts using personal e-mail addresses, even if later used for business purposes. This is because neither trademark law nor copyright law cover this, as social media accounts are considered personal property. This is why you won’t find a single case on record of a company making a successful claim for such, under either federal law or Oregon law. You will 100% lose on that claim.
3. Any declaration of “side projects” would have to be made at the time of his employment contract, not after he exits from your company. The creation of a personal social media account on its own is not an engagement in commerce or creation of work product. And an intent to do something after termination of a relationship with an employer does not qualify as “invention” or work-for-hire. As a legal term of art, “invention” is typically held by the courts to apply to patent law, not trademark or copyright. Accordingly, you’re owed absolutely no licensing to any business enterprise that was codified after his exit from your company.
4. If your claim is to the chosen name of his new channel, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a court that will give you ownership of a new name that literally incorporates his first name, absent any inclusion of anything similar to any existing branding DT previously held. Additionally, as he appears to have only attempted to do commerce under that name AFTER his exit from your company, you would have no valid trademark claim, since DT had never in their history used that phrase or name prior to this, nor would they have any reason to for their own business purposes.
On its face, you haven’t made any viable legal argument that would stand up to even basic scrutiny before a court. Worse, from a cursory search of Oregon’s online docket system, it doesn’t appear that DT has currently filed any legal action or claim that justifies your copyright strike with YouTube. I would actually argue that by taking action against him without any pre-existing judgment on the matter from a relevant court, Digital Trends could potentially be found liable for any lost income his channel may have accrued during the time your illegitimate copyright strike was active. You are making a copyright claim with no existing legal basis for your claim.
I’m not saying that you can’t dump money into this if you so choose, but on first blush, it DOES seem vindictive. And I think any value you may get out of pursuing it will be outweighed by the PR nightmare you’re creating for yourself, as well as what looks like a big loss in subscriber count. For my part, I was willing to remain subbed to DT’s channel despite Caleb’s exit, but immediately unsubscribed once I saw that DT had submitted a strike against his video that I had saved to watch later. I’ve already seen many people express the same intent based on DT’s actions. Regardless of your disingenuous wish of success for him moving forward, it seems petty to anyone looking at it through any other lens. You should rethink this. I don’t think this will end well for you.
Brad
May 1, 2025 at 11:14 pm
Does it suck that you’ve lost your biggest draw? Absolutely! He was the only reason anyone cared about Digital Trends. Will it benefit you in any conceivable way to go after him like this? No. You had a window to prove you were worth following without Caleb but instead you’re just screwing yourself by turning audience indifference into outright hostility toward your brand.
Chis Grisly
April 30, 2025 at 6:32 am
According to what’s reported here, Caleb launched his new channel while still on DT’s payroll — and DT believes he used company gear and contacts to do it. That’s not a clean break, that’s crossing a line.
This isn’t about stifling creativity. It’s about protecting trust, team effort, and honoring signed agreements — the same stuff any company needs to survive.
Caleb’s got talent, no doubt. But if you’re going to build something new, you’ve got to do it the right way.
Anton
April 30, 2025 at 11:43 am
“According to what’s reported here, Caleb launched his new…”
So you’re assuming that DT is telling the truth here.
I’m sure there is more to the story (there always is), but I’m having a hard time believing DT based on how quickly they moved to have his channel taken down.
Chris Boylan
April 30, 2025 at 5:14 pm
Ian, There is no Chis Grisly. DM me so I can show you how we know. But it will be interesting to see how many more times they try to manipulate the comments section here. Saving the logs.
Mark Henninger
April 30, 2025 at 11:45 am
Three words: presumption of innocence. If you are to believe an accusation, it is best to have evidence and not rely on hearsay. Looks like the lawyers are in charge now.
Jeremy Anderson
April 30, 2025 at 5:43 pm
Actually, according to what’s reported here, Caleb did NOT launch his new channel while still on DT’s payroll. Quite the opposite, actually. He created a personal YouTube account using a personal e-mail, which companies have zero legal claim to, even under work-for-hire clauses in employment contracts. The launch of the new channel and creation and posting of any content only took place AFTER he had resigned from DT and created his own business entity.
Even if DT was 100% telling the truth, their claim is without any legal merit. Personal social media accounts are personal property, not work product, even if later used for business purposes.
Ian Bell
April 30, 2025 at 10:03 pm
Jeremy,
Again, Caleb’s personal channel is still live, only the videos where he was on a paid company trip and using our equipment were taken down or in our studio. Celeb Rated was registered on YouTube while still employed with Digital Trends. He spoke to advertisers and partners while still employed by Digital Trends and told them about his new channel, likely to avoid interruption in his pay. He simply should have resigned, THEN started from scratch with everything, instead he tried to shift business and revenue over to his new venture while still with my company. Also, that studio where he filmed those Caleb Rated videos, was paid for by me during that month. I paid the security deposit for that studio, and insured it. All while he filmed there for his new business. Wish him the best, but he could have avoided everything by starting fresh.
Jeremy Anderson
May 1, 2025 at 2:03 am
Ian, I can’t speak to any of those other issues. I can, however, speak to the fact that merely creating the CalebRated channel while employed by DT does not give DT ownership of it. Not under any trademark or copyright law, and definitely not under “invention” clauses. Every court has shot that argument down, up to SCOTUS. You’re not going to win that specific argument in court as far as DT having any claim to his new channel. Period.
While those other issues may be “problematic” for you, they’re not directly related in any way to DT having claim to his new channel. Social media accounts are not subject to trademark or copyright, EVEN IF specified in the terms of a contract. It is inarguably personal property. And the registration date isn’t what matters for purposes of trademark, but the first date of commerce and first claim of trademark, both of which were clearly after he terminated his relationship with DT. Yes, even if he had spoken with people about his future intentions as you claim. And you can certainly free to make a legal claim regarding that particular issue, but that’s not relevant to the YT copyright claim.
Now if you’re saying that your company’s only claim is to those few videos you have a strike against because he filmed in a space while you were paying for it, and that he is free to post videos made in that space going forward, fair enough. But if that’s the case, say so publicly and everyone can move on.
Ian Bell
May 1, 2025 at 2:41 am
Jeremy Anderson, Sounds like he should have hired you instead of his attorney; put him on the clock! If you’re just trying to look smart on here by telling me what I can and cannot do in the court of law, it’s a waste of typing; I’ll go with the advice of my legal council because I’m not an attorney.
Last I checked, the channel still belonged to Caleb, it’s just the videos that were taken down. YouTube looks into these things pretty carefully.
I had a little bit of fun with ChatGPT though and I had it answer your question about Oregon rights to a YouTube channel, here’s what it found:
”Under Oregon law, if an employee creates a YouTube channel using company resources and has signed an invention assignment agreement, the ownership of that channel likely belongs to the employer.
Legal Framework in Oregon
In Oregon, employees generally retain ownership of their inventions, even if developed during employment. However, there are key exceptions:
resnovalaw.net
+2
Wikipedia
+2
ContractsCounsel
+2
resnovalaw.net
Hired to Invent Doctrine: If an employee is specifically hired to invent or solve a particular problem, the employer may have an implied right to the invention.
Wikipedia
+4
resnovalaw.net
+4
Markowitz
+4
Invention Assignment Agreements: Employers can require employees to assign rights to inventions developed during employment. Unlike some states, Oregon does not have statutory protections limiting the scope of these agreements.
resnovalaw.net
+4
Wikipedia
+4
Markowitz
+4
resnovalaw.net
+1
Markowitz
+1
Application to a YouTube Channel
Creating a YouTube channel involves various intellectual property elements, such as videos, branding, and potentially trademarks. If the channel was developed using company time, equipment, or relates to the company’s business, and an invention assignment agreement is in place, the employer likely owns the channel.
Markowitz
+1
resnovalaw.net
+1
Even without an explicit agreement, if the channel was created within the scope of employment or using company resources, the employer may have rights to it. This is supported by the “work for hire” doctrine, which states that works created by an employee within the scope of employment are owned by the employer.
DLA Piper Accelerate
Conclusion
If an employee in Oregon creates a YouTube channel using company resources and has signed an invention assignment agreement, the employer likely owns the channel. To determine the exact ownership rights, it’s advisable to consult with a legal professional familiar with Oregon employment and intellectual property law.”
So there ya go kind of a fun and interesting read eh? Kinda crazy how AI can do a lot of research eh? Cool!
Norbs
May 2, 2025 at 1:28 am
Ian, you sound bitter and jaded because you lost your biggest money maker. But here’s the thing, you’re gonna lose much much more for being a vindictive and clearly petty individual. Just went to check YT and Insta and clearly you can’t take the heat so you just decided to remove and/or limit comments from/on your posts, but the damage has been done to the brand and good luck coming back from this.
Mark Henninger
May 1, 2025 at 4:56 am
I surely will not forget what I saw happen here in these comments. FFS.
Alan
May 1, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Wishing Caleb the best of luck fighting against his morally bankrupt former employer.
Digital Trends has lost me as a consumer of any of their media.
Tony
May 1, 2025 at 7:12 pm
Wow, knew something was off when I saw his channel had no videos the other day, but didn’t expect this much drama.
Unsubbed the Digital Trends YT channel; hopefully the other 1.3MM will do the same over time.
Jagroop Singh
May 2, 2025 at 12:33 pm
Was Caleb known to anyone before he started working at Digital Trends? if not then its down to their investment as to why he is so well known. Having run a digital business with “talent” we always put non compete clauses in and id be amazed if a brand as big as Digital Trends didnt have one in place. If they did then what Caleb has done is harsh on DT and should be held accountable. Its hard enough for publishing business to make money in the current climate without having to fight against its own employees.
Tony
May 4, 2025 at 3:20 pm
Yeah but one is not an indentured servant. He was an employee in good standing for a long time and now wants to own his content.
Non compete clauses for YouTube talent is dubious at best.
Ian is doing his brand way more damage than Caleb’s departure with this revenge tactic.
I call it revenge because the ill will he’s fostering with his stance makes no business sense.
In the court of public opinion DT has already lost.
Unsubscribing from DT
James D
May 8, 2025 at 2:29 am
Whether right or wrong, it was ridiculous to issue that take-down. The goal of your business is to make money and protect investors. I’m pretty sure you’re going to fail. Put the videos back up and apologize. It will just keep getting worse if you don’t. I saw the view drop on your channel. Probably affecting the entire company as well. It might be too late for you though.