Strike 3, Accused Copyright Infringer Reach Agreement Before Florida Trial

Strike 3, Accused Copyright Infringer Reach Agreement Before Florida Trial

TAMPA, Fla. — Strike 3 Holdings and a Florida man accused of illegally downloading and sharing 36 of the company’s copyrighted adult titles reached a confidential settlement on Sunday, only days before the case was scheduled to go to trial.

Strike 3, the copyright holder for the Vixen Media Group brands, and its main legal enforcer, attorney Lincoln Bandlaw, have engaged in a long-term, relentless practice of pursuing lawsuits against individual content pirates and anonymous file-sharers.

As XBIZ reported, Strike 3 has not backed down from its lawsuit-heavy strategy, even after being criticized by judges for subpoenaing ISPs for customer information, and being termed “copyright trolls” by critics.

Although many of these cases result in a settlement, the Florida case concerning defendant John Adaire was moving toward a federal trial this week, until the parties reached an agreement “at the eleventh hour” on Sunday, news site TorrentFreak reported.

“It’s unusual for such a file-sharing case to be so heavily litigated since that’s quite costly for both sides,” wrote TorrentFreak’s Ernesto Van der Sar, who regularly covers Strike 3 litigation. 

“The prospect of a potential jury trial is even rarer,” Van der Sar added, noting that neither Strike 3 nor Adaire “wanted to give in.”

U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven had allowed Strike 3 to use evidence from its proprietary VXN tracking technology, which the company claims allowed it to identify the IP address assigned to Adaire in connection with the illegal download and sharing of 36 copyrighted Vixen Media Group titles.

During pretrial motions, Adaire’s lawyer unsuccessfully argued that the in-house technology was not reliable as “VXN had no user’s manual, no design documentation, and was never verified by an independent third party. There is no known false positive rate of VXN, since it was never measured.”

On Sunday, the parties informed the court they had “finalized and executed, by way of written agreement, a final settlement resolving all claims raised in this case.”

According to TorrentFreak, due to the confidential nature of the settlement, it remains unclear whether either party agreed to pay compensation.

Adaire’s attorney, Curt Edmondson, told TorrentFreak that the dispute was “amicably resolved to the satisfaction of all,” with Strike 3’s lawyer, Christian Waugh, concurring.

Waugh touted the judge’s injunction stipulating that the defendant “will have to pay $125,000 in damages if they infringe any of Strike 3’s copyrights in the future.”

“The injunction itself is a historic result for content creators and owners like my client,” Waugh told TorrentFreak. “There are extraordinary penalties, including contempt, if Defendant ever violates the injunction imposed by the Court.”

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

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Aylo Says It Will Comply With UK Age Assurance Requirements

Tech and media company Aylo, which owns various adult properties including Pornhub, YouPorn and Redtube, plans to introduce age assurance methods in the United Kingdom that satisfy government rules under the Online Safety Act, the company has announced.

Kyrgyzstan Parliament Approves Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

The Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan on Wednesday passed legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

Trial Set for Lawsuit by U Wisconsin Professor Fired Over Adult Content

A trial date of June 22, 2026, has been set for the civil lawsuit filed by veteran communications professor Joe Gow against the University of Wisconsin board of regents, which fired him for creating and appearing in adult content.

New UK Task Force Meets to Target Adult Content

The architect of an influential report that recommended banning adult content deemed “degrading, violent and misogynistic” has convened an “Independent Pornography Review task force” aimed at translating that report’s findings into action in the U.K.

11:11 Creations Launches Affiliate Program

11:11 Creations principal Alicia Silver has launched 11:11 Cash for creators and affiliates.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'Self Love' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers to develop self-love.

Show More