
YouTuber Allen Pan, who was a contestant on the show MythBusters: The Search, bought the trademark to MythBusters for $1000. This purchase was made in retaliation against CNN, who had used a video of his without permission, credit, or license. The video in question showed Pan giving a live snake robotic legs. While Pan's purchase of the trademark was legal, it caused controversy, with some people arguing that he should sell it back to the original owners, and others pointing out the potential issues with fair use and trademark law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Allen Pan's involvement with Mythbusters | Contestant on Mythbusters: The Search |
| Allen Pan's trademark | Mythbusters trademark for clothing and apparel |
| Allen Pan's dispute with CNN | CNN used Allen Pan's video without permission or credit |
| Mythbusters trademark ownership | Allen Pan purchased the trademark from CNN/Discovery |
| Mythbusters trademark dispute | Allen Pan received a cease and desist order to give up the trademark |
| Outcome | Allen Pan turned the dispute into content |
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What You'll Learn

Allen Pan's elimination from 'MythBusters: The Search'
Allen Pan, an American engineer and YouTuber, was a contestant on the reality competition series "MythBusters: The Search". The show, which premiered in January 2017, featured a group of contestants vying for the chance to become the hosts of the revived "MythBusters" series on the Science Channel.
Allen Pan was a popular contestant on "MythBusters: The Search", known for his inventive gadgets and science-based web series "Sufficiently Advanced". However, in the last episode of the show, he was unexpectedly eliminated. This decision upset many viewers, who felt that Pan had the most potential out of all the contestants to become the next mythbuster. Comments on the MythBusters Facebook page expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction with Pan's elimination, with some saying they would no longer watch the show.
Following his appearance on "MythBusters: The Search", Allen Pan went on to purchase the trademark to "MythBusters" for $1000. This move was possibly in response to CNN's use of his video about giving a live snake robotic legs without crediting him. While Pan legally owned the trademark, he received a cease and desist order and was ultimately unable to retain it.
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Allen Pan's lawsuit against MythBusters
Allen Pan, an American engineer and YouTuber, rose to fame with his YouTube series 'Sufficiently Advanced', a science web show where he invents gadgets related to pop culture. In 2015, he created a Naruto rasengan cosplay prop, followed by a viral video in which he made a replica of Thor's hammer. In the same year, he participated in 'MythBusters: The Search', a reality competition show that aimed to select hosts for the 'MythBusters' reboot. Despite being a fan favourite, he was eliminated from the show, leading to widespread disappointment among viewers and sparking calls for justice in his dismissal.
In 2020, Pan faced another setback when Indiegogo scammers stole footage from his lightsaber videos for their fraudulent campaign. He exposed the scam in a video, showcasing his resilience in standing up for his work.
However, the focus of this narrative is on Allen Pan's legal entanglements with MythBusters. The crux of the issue revolves around trademark and copyright disputes. Allen Pan legally purchased the abandoned MythBusters trademark, allowing him to sell MythBusters merchandise. While this irked the MythBusters team, they lacked a direct cause of action to sue him solely for owning the trademark.
The conflict escalated when Allen Pan designed and sold "'CUM' shirts", which parodied the CNN logo. This provoked a strong response from CNN, who demanded he cease and desist. They threatened to pursue legal action if he did not stop selling the shirts, destroy his existing stock, and abandon the MythBusters trademark. The situation highlighted the disparity in power between individuals and large corporations in legal battles, as Pan risked being burdened with substantial legal fees if he chose to fight back.
While some commentators suggested that Pan had a valid defence in the parody nature of the "CUM" shirts, others acknowledged that taking on a large corporation in court was a daunting prospect. Ultimately, the outcome of this dispute is not publicly known, but it underscores the complexities of intellectual property law and the challenges faced by content creators in navigating trademark and copyright issues.
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Allen Pan's purchase of the MythBusters trademark
Allen Pan, who was a contestant on MythBusters: The Search, bought the trademark to MythBusters. This purchase came after Pan was eliminated from the show, despite being a fan favourite. Many viewers were upset by his dismissal, and a petition was even started to bring justice to his elimination.
Three months after his time on the show, Pan posted a video of a live snake with robotic legs. CNN used the video without crediting him, leading to Pan taking revenge by purchasing the MythBusters trademark for $1000.
Following his purchase, Pan received a cease and desist order demanding that he give up the trademark and destroy any apparel. While some Reddit users suggested that he would win any legal battle, it was also noted that he would likely go broke before any such victory. It was also speculated that he sold the trademark back to the original owners and signed an NDA.
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Allen Pan's video about giving a live snake robotic legs
YouTuber and engineer Allen Pan built a set of robotic legs for a snake, allowing it to walk. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Pan showcases his invention, which he created to prove his love for snakes after receiving criticism for catching and releasing a wild snake.
The video, which has garnered over 2.6 million views, begins with Pan explaining the project's concept and his process of developing the robotic legs. During his research, Pan discovered that snake embryos do possess legs, which are lost later in their development. With this knowledge, he set out to engineer a device that would enable a snake to walk, ensuring that the snake could freely enter and exit the device independently.
Pan's invention consists of a hollow tube with four robotic legs attached to servos, controlled remotely from a laptop. To test his creation, Pan visited a snake breeder who lent him a python to try out the machine. The python slithered into the tube, and Pan controlled its movement using the robotic legs. The snake remained willingly inside the machine, appearing content as it was transported around.
"And now you can walk your snake, just like God never wanted you to," Pan jokes in the video. He expressed his amazement at the sight of the snake crawling into its "robotic exoskeleton," stating, "I cannot get over the image of the snake crawling into its robotic exoskeleton. I cannot believe that this worked!"
While the invention may seem like a playful experiment, Pan's work aligns with ongoing research in robotics and snake locomotion. Scientists are studying snake movements to create more adaptable wiggling robots for search and rescue operations and potential use on Mars. Although giving snakes robotic legs might not be a practical solution, it showcases the innovative and playful approach that Allen Pan takes to his projects.
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Allen Pan's YouTube channel
Allen Pan is an American engineer and YouTuber, known for his YouTube channel 'Sufficiently Advanced' (SA), a science web show where he invents gadgets, often related to pop culture. He created his channel in 2015, with his first video being a Naruto rasengan cosplay prop. The channel's next video was the first in the Sufficiently Advanced series, where he made a replica of Thor's hammer, Mjolnir, complete with an electromagnet and a fingerprint scanner. The video went viral, and his subsequent videos have included exposing an Indiegogo scam that stole footage from his lightsaber videos, and giving a live snake robotic legs.
Allen has a degree in electrical engineering and has been inventing gadgets since he was a child. He competed in MythBusters: The Search, a reality competition show that aimed to determine the hosts for the MythBusters reboot. Although he did not win, he gained a lot of popularity, with many viewers expressing disappointment in his elimination.
In 2022, Allen Pan bought the trademark to MythBusters, which resulted in a cease and desist order demanding that he give up the trademark and destroy any related apparel. This caused a legal battle, with many speculating that he would not win due to the similarity between the old and new trademarks.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, YouTuber Allen Pan bought the trademark to MythBusters for clothing and apparel.
Allen Pan was upset with CNN for using his video of a snake with robotic legs without crediting him. He then purchased the trademark to MythBusters for $1000 as a form of revenge.
Allen Pan received a cease and desist order, demanding that he give up the trademark and destroy any apparel.











































