An Ontario university is taking legal action against a YouTube prankster in a novel lawsuit, demanding that he surrender the profits from viral videos recorded without permission on its campus. Ontario Tech University alleges that content creator Fique Ayub Fique and his associates were "unjustly enriched" by filming and posting two pranks in which he used an exaggerated Indian accent to disrupt lectures with mocking questions, then cooked curry on a portable stovetop hidden in his backpack.
Details of the Prank Videos
The first prank, posted in October 2024, has amassed over 13 million views on YouTube. Ayub's subscriber count skyrocketed from 60,000 to more than 1.3 million during this period. Short clips from the incidents also garnered tens of millions of views on his TikTok account. The university had initially hesitated to take legal action after the first incident, fearing retaliation or further targeting by Ayub.
However, the university changed its stance when Ayub returned to campus in October 2025 for a repeat performance. During this second prank, he interrupted a lecture to announce he would teach his own cooking class, throwing curry at students and onto the ceiling as part of a game called "catch the curry," causing property damage. The university filed a police report and launched a court action.
Legal Claims and Response
The university has already secured an injunction barring Ayub from its property but is pursuing at least $50,000 in punitive damages, plus an unquantified amount based on the YouTuber's income from the prank videos. In documents filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the university states that the profits earned by the defendants arose directly from unlawful trespass and unauthorized use of Ontario Tech's property, and seeks disgorgement of those profits.
Ayub's online content has previously led to legal trouble. In April 2026, he and his cameraman were charged with causing a disturbance and mischief after an alleged incident at a cinema where people yelled that someone had a gun. The charges have not been proven in court.
Impact on Campus
The university received complaints from faculty and students about the pranks. The professor teaching during the second prank was reportedly traumatized by the experience. The university's claim notes that tensions escalated during the second prank, with a confrontation that almost turned violent between students who wanted to learn and Ayub.
Ontario Tech University's lawsuit represents a unique approach to dealing with disruptive content creators, seeking to hold them financially accountable for unauthorized use of campus facilities.
