The creators of PornoTube, a pornographic video sharing site, have been sued by US adult-film company Vivid Entertainment for infringing copyright by allowing users to illegally post clips from its films.
Describing itself in an affidavit as "one of the leading producers of lawful adult-oriented, sexually explicit content in the world", Vivid Entertainment has filed a lawsuit in the Central District Court of California against AEBN, a subsidiary of Data Conversions Inc, the South Carolina registered business which PornoTube and its creators operate under.
Vivid has filed for nine separate complaints against the video sharing site, ranging from various copyright infringements to misappropriation of the right of publicity and unfair business practices.
In a statement of claim filed by the company's lawyers, Vivid contends that "much of the content displayed and distributed on PornoTube.com consists of Vivid's copyrighted works and copyrighted works belonging to others".
The statement went on to describe PornoTube's business plan as dependent on "using and infringing upon the copyrighted works of others".
The adult entertainment house has also raised other allegations against PornoTube that it does not follow labelling provisions detailed in the US Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act which require producers and distributors of pornography to verify that all consumers of their content are over 18.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Vivid is seeking US$150,000 for each infringed work in a lawsuit which is apparently the first of its kind.
Vivid's co-chairman, Steven Hirsch, told the Los Angeles Daily: "We've decided to take a stand and say 'no more'."
Hirsch went on to say that his company -- and possibly the porn industry at large - will "go after all the free sites".
The Porn industry is going to join the RIAA and MPAA in making enemies with the world at large.
The internet is a huge porno revenue world, but Im betting big producers dont see much from the net. They should take a lesson and work with it instead of against it.
They will just legally alienate their market for this one. Look at the music industry... Dinosaurs will die.