AdultShop.com Settles U.S. Payment Dispute

SYDNEY — Bringing an end to the on-going credit card processing problems that have besieged Australian adult Internet retail company AdultShop.com, the company announced today that it had settled an outstanding legal claim against it that could have potentially cost more than $2.8 million in damages and brought the company before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The underlying lawsuit, brought by a California credit card payment processor in 2002, alleged that AdultShop.com owed the processor approximately $1.86 million in outstanding charges and $1 million in general damages.

The case was also scheduled to be heard before the U.S. Supreme Court in January 2005.

“The legal fees that would have been incurred by the company were expected to have been significant,” said KJ Heitman, chairman of AdultShop, in a statement release Tuesday. “On the advice of the company’s United States-based legal advisors, the directors agreed to what is considered to be a fair and reasonable settlement.”

The terms of the agreement call for AdultShop to pay the processor $1.5 million to settle all claims against it.

AdultShop also made legal headlines recently when it initiated a multimillion dollar lawsuit against two Australian businessmen who had sold the company their online erotica division.

AdultShop paid roughly $12 million to Dean Shannon and Steve Jones in exchange for the division, but the credit card processor’s looming litigation caused AdultShop stock to drastically drop in price. The company sued Shannon and Jones in October 2004 to recoup some of its loss.

AdultShop alleged that the two businessmen breached the Australian Trades Practices Act and had misrepresented the benefits of merchant accounts.

Copyright © 2026 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

WebGroup Czech Republic Settles Florida AV Suit, Will Pay $1.2 Million

WebGroup Czech Republic (WGCZ), the parent company of XVideos, XNXX, BangBros and GirlsGoneWild, has settled a lawsuit filed by the state of Florida over those sites’ alleged failure to age-verify Florida users before allowing access to adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for March, April

AEBN has published the top search terms for March and April from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Ofcom Investigates Two Sites Over Possible AV Violations

U.K. media regulator Ofcom on Wednesday launched investigations into two adult sites as part of its age assurance enforcement program under the Online Safety Act (OSA).

Brazzers Launches Model Management Division 'Brazzers Creator'

Brazzers has launched its new full-service model management division, Brazzers Creator, offering content management services across multiple platforms.

FTC Promises 'Vigorous' TAKE IT DOWN Act Enforcement

The Federal Trade Commission is warning platforms that the agency will strongly enforce the notice-and-removal requirements of the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which go into effect next week on May 19.

STD Hero Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Better Life Science brand STD Hero has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

2026 XBIZ Miami Speaker, Open-Floor Conversation Guide Lineup Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full speaker lineup for XBIZ Miami, the latest edition of the adult industry’s premier summer conference, set to take place May 11-14 at the Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach.

2026 XBIZ Miami Conference Schedule Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full show schedule for XBIZ Miami, set to take place May 11-14 at the Goodtime Hotel in South Beach.

Court of International Trade Rejects Trump 'Replacement' Tariffs

The U.S. Court of International Trade on Thursday ruled that President Trump’s 10% global tariff under the Trade Act of 1974, imposed after the Supreme Court invalidated the administration’s broad “Liberation Day” tariff regime, is illegal — but stopped short of a nationwide injunction against the tariff.

UPDATED: Utah VPN Rule Enforcement Paused in Aylo Lawsuit

Provisions of a new Utah law making adult websites liable if minors in the state circumvent geolocation efforts to bypass age verification, which were set to come into force on Wednesday, have been put on hold until Sept. 3 in the case of Aylo, which filed suit in the matter.

Show More