Defy Media was an MCN on youtube. An MCN is a Multi-Channel Network. These networks host thousands of creators and offer them many perks such as sponsors, help with merch, and most importantly false copyright claims. False advertisement claims has become very rampant on youtube and many big creators need to join these MCNs to help with copyright claims. MCNs were even required at one point to make ad revenue. In order to join these companies a creator must pay a fee, specifically a portion of their ad revenue.

The problem with this is once a channel is partnered with an MCN, the ad revenue no longer goes straight to the creator; it goes to the MCN. That company takes thier cut out of the youtubers paycheck, and then gives whats left to the youtuber. This causes MCNs income and value to look much higher than it actually is, attracting investors to the company. Investors see the large income and want a part, so they invest, only to find out that the actual return is much smaller than what was advertised. Sending the ad revenue striaght to the MCNs rather than the creator is akin to your paycheck being sent to your internet company first, and they take out thier cut, then send it to the utility company to take out thier cut, etc until it gets back to you if there is any left; it just doesn't make much sense. 

Defy Media heavily followed this practice, even asking to keep youtubers income for a month with no explanation. The creators, wanting to be good business partners and trusting a company that was seeming to help them, agreed unsure why that was needed. This let Defy Media inflate thier records even more. Defy Media went out of business. A large amount of money the company possessed was transfered and hidden, such in the owners offshore bank accounts as Matthew Patrick states in his video "They stole $1.7 million" on his youtube channel Game Theory. Any assests Defy Media had, as well as any money or money they are finding is going straight to Ally Bank. Ally Bank then looks at the list of people that require payment, and rank them by importance. They people from the top of the list, and go down until there is nothing left. Since there are large investors that could affect Ally Bank, they go to the top of the list, while youtubers go to the bottom of the list. The issue is that $1.7 million of the money did not belong to Defy Media. It was 50 Youtube Creators income that defy was temporarily holding while taking out their cut. The money was never owned by Defy Media, but instead was a youtubers income. While some youtubers earned more or some youtubers earned less, if split even between all 50 youtubers, each one would be losing $34,000. especially  taking into account the inbalances, this is around the starting yearly income for many different jobs.

Remember, this "MCN gets the revenue first" thing is like your paycheck being taken by the internet company and they take out what is owed, and pass it on, and then you get whatever is left.

This petition is for Ally Bank, to realize that the money they are going to give away, is not their money to give away in the first place, and to show the Youtubers have public support backing them.

Most of this information I learned from MatPat's video linked below, so most of this can be cited back to him. 

Matthew Patrick (MatPat) brought light to the issue here https://youtu.be/ACNhHTqIVqk