Prenda Law Misses Sanctions Deadline, Faces More Penalties

LOS ANGELES — Prenda Law attorneys have missed the deadline to pay $81,000 in sanctions.

U.S. District Judge Otis Wright threatened even more sanctions if Prenda Law, along with attorneys John Steele, Paul Hansmeier, Paul Duffy, Brett Gibbs, as well as AF Holdings LLC and Ingenuity 13 LLC, don't pay up.

Wright has imposed a penalty of $1,000 per day, per person or entity, until the attorneys-fee sanction award is paid or a bond for the same amount is posted.

Prenda Law and its principals were hit with $81,000 in sanctions after Wright said that the firm's attorneys "outmaneuvered the legal system" in their attempts to exact payment through boilerplate processes from thousands of defendants accused of illegally sharing porn through torrents.

On Monday, a two-judge panel with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied Hansmeier's emergency appeal that to stay sanctions levied against him.

The appellate court, however, gave Hansmeier the option to appeal sanctions with Wright who said in yesterday's order, "the court finds no basis to grant Prenda’s request."

Wright yesterday denied Hansmeier's application for stay of enforcement and ordered Prenda and others to pay up.

"Prenda now seeks to remedy a problem of their own making," Wright said in his order. "By refusing to pay, or at least refusing to post a supersedeas bond, Prenda (and the other parties) cannot establish that it is without fault in creating the crisi sthat requires ex parte relief, or that the crisis occurred as a result of excusable neglect.”

Prenda Law attorneys earlier this year were summoned by Wright to discuss their method of operation going after those who share porn through the Internet.

In addition to monetary sanctions Wright  also referred Prenda Law attorneys to state and federal bar disciplinary panels, as well as U.S. prosecutors and the IRS. He also ordered the notification of “all judges before whom these attorneys have pending cases.”

Wright said in his earlier ruling this month that Prenda Law "discovered the nexus of antiquated copyright laws, paralyzing social stigma, and unaffordable defense costs."

"And they exploit this anomaly by accusing individuals of illegally downloading a single pornographic video," he said. "Then they offer to settle — for a sum calculated to be just below the cost of a bare-bones defense."

View Wright's order denying stay of enforcement and order to pay award

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 Bulletin: 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