LAS VEGAS — The owner of defunct revenge porn site IsAnyoneUp.com has filed a cybersquatting suit against the operators of IsAnyoneUp.net, alleging amongst other complaints that the copycat site publishes "involuntary porn" and constantly violates age-verification statute 18 U.S.C. §2257.
IsAnyoneUp.com, originally founded by web entrepreneur Hunter Moore, was shut down in April by Moore following a reported FBI investigation. Moore claimed to make upwards of $13,000 a month in advertising on the site at the time and sold it for an undisclosed sum to James McGibney, founder of anti-bullying site BullyVille.com.
BullyVille, which filed the suit in Las Vegas federal court, claims that IsAnyoneUp.net operators Blue Mist Media, Eric Chanson, Kevin Bolleart and Cody Alviar "solicit and post naked pictures and videos of persons who were photographed without their consent or permission," much like the original site published.
The defendants purchased IsAnyoneUp.Net shortly after the original IsAnyoneUp.com ceased operating, the suit said, creating a site filled with sexually explicit photographs, "victims’" full names, where they live, and links to their Facebook pages — all amounting to "involuntary porn."
Further, the suit said, the "defendants do not verify the ages of any of the subjects of the actual sexually explicit content that they publish, nor do they maintain any records as required by law. Thus, the defendants’ activities constantly violate 2257 — a law that was put into place, in part, to prevent just this kind of conduct."
Currently IsAnyoneUp.net redirects to YouGotPosted.com. The defendants also operate IsAnyoneUpVideos.com and IsAnyoneUpNudes, the suit said.
In a public reprimand last week, Bullyville.com published an open statement regarding the suit, chastising Chanson, IsAnyone.Net purported principal executive, accusing him of stealing ideas and even photos published on the site.
"We're going to keep this really short and sweet," Bullville said. "Eric you are no different than Hunter Moore, except for the fact that you are less original. You stole his idea for IsAnyoneUp.com and created IsAnyoneUp.net. You even went as far as stealing images from his site and uploaded them to yours and rebranded them as IsAnyoneUp.net."
Bullyville, in the statement, said it gave defendants the option to transfer the website (court papers revealed Bullyville offered $3,099 for IsAnyone.net) and further berated the defendants after they apparently declined the offer.
"The fact that you run a revenge porn website that highlights innocent girls, some of who are under the age of 18, is despicable," the statement said. "[Y]ou had the opportunity to avoid all of this and you blew it and now you, your business partners and even your parents are going to really regret that decision. See you all in court."
XBIZ calls to defendant Blue Mist Media's office went unreturned Monday morning. Bulleyville's parent company is represented by Randazza Legal Group's Marc Randazza.