7,097 Defendants Pared From 'Batman XXX' Suit

MARTINSBURG, Va. — The federal judge who quashed thousands of subpoenas requested in seven porn BitTorrent suits earlier this month has struck again.

This time, 7,097 defendants have been pared from Axel Braun Productions' suit, which alleges the John Doe defendants poached "Batman XXX: A Porn Parody." Only one Doe defendant remains in the suit.

"The plaintiff appears to allege that joinder is based upon the Does’ use of some of the same ISPs and some of the same peer-to-peer networks to infringe the same copyright," U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey said in an order. "Moreover, several courts agree that where there is no allegation that multiple defendants have acted in concert, joinder is improper.

"Further evidence of misjoinder is found in the undeniable fact that each defendant will also likely have a different defense," he said. "For this reason also, the court finds joinder in this case improper.

"This court chooses the route of severance. In fact, this court will sever all Doe defendants except Doe No. 1."

Today, Axel Braun Productions' attorney sent letters out to 12 ISPs explaining the judge's order.

When the "Batman" suit was filed, Axel Braun told XBIZ he wouldn't be shy suing those who pirate his movies, and he planned to use legal avenues against those who steal his content for every movie going forward.

"Fuck 'em all," he said at the time. "People don't realize that when you pirate a movie it hurts all of the people who work very hard to get it produced — from the cast to the production assistants to the makeup artists. These are people who live paycheck to paycheck, and with 'Batman XXX,' that was a film I financed myself. "

The suits involving the eight cases, including "Batman," that have resulted in quashed subpoena were filed by Kenneth Ford of the Adult Copyright Co.; all of those cases were filed at U.S. District Court in Martinsburg, W. Va.,

Braun and Ford couldn't immediately be reached by XBIZ late Monday.

Bailey earlier this month threw out 5,462 unnamed defendants from suits filed by Combat Zone, Elegant Angel, Third World Media and West Coast Productions.

Bailey, in Braun's case and the other adult studios' cases, said if they wanted to proceed they can do so by filing fees for each of the amended complaints, which would be assigned separate civil action numbers, but only if the defendants are located in West Virginia, where the cases were filed.

The EFF said that the studios in the suits were "abusing the law in an attempt to pressure settlements."

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

Savvy Suxx Is Hustler's 'Cover Honey' for August

Savvy Suxx is the Cover Honey for the August issue of Hustler Magazine and appears in a 14-page centerfold spread shot by ThisYearsModel.com.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

Payton Preslee Topline Latest From Hard X

Payton Preslee headlines "Sexual Icons 4," from XEmpire studio brand Hard X.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Nadia Jay Stars in Latest From Brazzers

Nadia Jay stars with Mick Blue in the latest release from Brazzers, titled "Fucking the Bath Voyeur."

Tommy Gunn Reflects on His Legendary Past as He Looks to the Future

Tommy Gunn is wearing an eyepatch. It’s not an homage to the classic "Pirates" porn parody franchise, in which Gunn takes on the Johnny Depp role. The eyepatch is a temporary measure to help him deal with a nerve palsy that came out of nowhere several years ago and affects his vision from time to time. Gunn needs his vision. As one of the adult industry’s longest-serving male stars, he still has plenty to look forward to.

Rocco Siffredi Directs New Rebel Rhyder Showcase

Evil Angel has released Rocco Siffredi’s Rebel Rhyder showcase title, "Rebel Meets Rebel."

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Show More