U.S. Judge Sides With JuicyAds in Piracy Suit

U.S. Judge Sides With JuicyAds in Piracy Suit

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge yesterday sided with JuicyAds and dismissed claims that accused the adult ad network of profiting from pirate sites that use its service to generate revenue.

The case, filed this past summer at Los Angeles federal court by adult publisher ALS Scan, was the first where an ad traffic company stood accused of aiding pirate sites.

ALS Scan sued JuicyAds, content delivery network CloudFlare and other third parties for copyright infringement carried out by its users.

ALS Scan, in its complaint, said it alerted Juicy Ads 195 times about infringing activities of several customers, but that it took no action in response and continued to offer services.

“[J]uicyAds and Cloudflare make money by continuing to do commerce with sites that draw traffic through the lure of free infringing content,” ALS Scan said in the complaint.

But JuicyAds moved to dismiss the case on grounds that ALS Scan, a website (“All Ladies Shaved”) that is operated by the parent company that owns MetArt, failed to state a claim for secondary liability against the traffic company.

JuicyAds’ legal team — attorneys Corey D. Silverstein, Lawrence Walters and Gary Bostwick — argued that ALS Scan can’t assert any claims for contributory or vicarious liability, given that JuicyAds, which has more than 92,000 businesses participating in its ad network, has no more control over publishers’ sites than it does over any other third-party sites.

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge George Wu issued a ruling after hearing oral arguments from both sides, agreeing with JuicyAds’ counsel and dismissing the case, as well as a motion for preliminary injunction sought by ALS Scan.

ALS Scan, in its complaint, asked the court to impose sanctions against JuicyAds, including to implement wide-ranging content review protocols for all existing and potential publisher customers in an ongoing effort to identify and “weed out” any potential infringement of adult content by third parties.

Walters, upon comment this afternoon, said Wu’s decision was a paramount one for the adult entertainment traffic sector.

“The defense team views this decision as a victory for both JuicyAds and for the online advertising industry,” Walters told XBIZ. “Unchecked efforts to hold distant online service providers responsible for indirect copyright infringement has the potential to stifle innovation.”

Silverstein told XBIZ this afternoon that Wu “made the right decision.”

“The entire legal team comprised of myself, Kevin Toll (Silverstein Legal), Lawrence Walters (Walters Law Group) and Gary Botswick (Bostwick Law) worked tirelessly to defend JuicyAds against the allegations,” Silverstein said.

View ruling

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

TeamSkeet, MYLF to Launch New Website FamilyStrokes.com

Sister studios TeamSkeet and MYLF are launching a new website, FamilyStrokes.com.

AV Watch: Age Verification Hits the Mainstream, Ofcom Sets a Date

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Segpay Names Kristi Greer VP of Sales

Segpay has promoted long-time employee Kristi Greer to the position of vice president of sales.

BranditScan Names Subgirl Newest Brand Ambassador

BranditScan has named content creator Subgirl its newest brand ambassador.

Arcom Reports Age Verification Enforcement Actions Against 5 Adult Sites

French media regulator Arcom released a statement Tuesday detailing recent actions to enforce age verification rules as set forth under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

Pineapple Support, Clips4Sale to Host Performers' Partners Support Group

Pineapple Support and Clips4Sale are hosting a free online support group for partners and family members of adult industry professionals.

FSC Mourns the Loss of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes

Free Speech Coalition has released a statement regarding the passing of Board Director Emeritus Mark Kernes.

Alexa Creed Launches New Paysite

Creator Alexa Creed has launched a new membership site through MyMember.site.

Choice Talent Management Launches Fan Platform 'ChoiceFilmz'

Choice Talent Management CEO Chris Crisco has launched a new fan platform called ChoiceFilmz.

Dredd to Launch Official Site

Dredd has announced his new website OfficialDreddXXX.com, launching April 20.

Show More