Lawyer Lays Out How Dr Disrespect Could Return To Twitch
Dr Disrespect's Twitch ban left many unanswered questions in its wake. For over a year, even the Doc claimed he did not know the reason for his Twitch suspension, only to drop a bombshell about his lawsuit against the streaming platform in a recent stream. Since then, other streamers have offered their support and legal experts have reacted to his lawsuit claim. One of these responses came from Roger Quiles, a content creation attorney within the game and esports industries. In a Dexerto hosted segment called "Influenced," Quiles talked about how Dr Disrespect could potentially return to Twitch.
Quiles shared his suspicion that the Doc is suing Twitch for "breach of contract," a.k.a. breaking a contract or "legally enforceable promise." In this case, the contract would be Dr Disrespect's Twitch partnership agreement. Whoever breaks the contract can potentially be sued for doing so. The segment specifically highlighted the statement "Twitch reserves the right, without notice and in our sole discretion, to terminate your license" from the platform's Terms of Service. According to Quiles, pursuing a breach of contract case against Twitch is the Doc's most likely course action, as the streamer has since revealed that he learned why Twitch hit him with the ban hammer months ago.
How could the lawsuit play out for Dr Disrespect?
Quiles explained that the lawsuit could proceed through one of two avenues. The first is a filing, which requires the filers and attorneys to submit files to a state or federal court. Filings can take up to several years to resolve, often draining funds in the process. Filers can also "settle a case," meaning they come to an agreement before the end of the trial. These typically result in payouts and the like.
Alternatively, the details of the dispute could be sent to an arbitrator. Quiles suggested that arbitration wouldn't be surprising, as agreements like what Doc had with Twitch typically contain an arbitration provision prohibiting court suits and jury trials. Arbitration keeps information behind closed doors and takes less time to resolve. However, Quiles estimated that this method would still take several months, possibly up to a year.
In the end, Quiles laid out the possible outcomes of Doc's legal pursuit. First, he could win the lawsuit. In this case, he would receive compensation for damages, such as legal fees and unearned money due to his ban, and possibly return to Twitch. Second, he could lose the lawsuit and potentially need to pay for Twitch's legal costs. Third, both parties could agree to a settlement during the arbitration process.
Arbitration seems likely in this scenario, but Quiles highlighted that the case could still go to court depending on the reason behind it. Because of how arbitration works, fans might never know the real reason the Doc was banned from Twitch, either. Fans and legal experts alike will need to wait for more information in the coming months.