AshleyMadison.com May Sue Competitor, Judge Says

LOS ANGELES — AshleyMadison.com may sue a competitor for using its distinctive mark of a woman with her finger on her lips, a federal judge has decided.

The dating website for extramarital affairs, operated by Avid Dating Life, is suing Infostream, which runs several competing dating websites, including SeekingArrangement.com and WhatsYourPrice.com.

Both parties reached an accord in a previous suit, under which Avid agreed to pay Infostream $60,000 to use the name "arrangement finders," and agreed not to challenge Infostream's "seeking arrangement" mark.

But the parties returned to fedreal court again, with both accusing each other of purchasing web advertising related to searches for the other's dating site.

AshleyMadison.com also accused Infostream of violating the legal settlement by using its "famous" trade dress of a woman with her finger pressed against her sealed lips, which it refers to as the "shush image."

AshleyMadison.com  says the consuming public associates this image with its website.

U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson, the federal jurist in Vivid Entertainment's lawsuit over Measure B in Los Angeles, dismissed the majority of both claims with prejudice this month, but withheld judgment on who owns the rights to the shush image.

Infostream said that it used the image first, and "attempts to bolster its argument by asking this court to take judicial notice of a more or less identical image pulled from an Infostream website in 2006."

But "the mere fact that an image was displayed on a website at a certain time cannot conclusively establish ownership of the trade dress one way or another," Pregerson ruled. "While the disputed fact of ownership may or may not be resolvable on summary judgment, it cannot be determined at this stage."

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

Taylor Nicole Launches New Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Creator Taylor Nicole has launched her new official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Adult Networking Platform SpicyGigs.com Launches

SpicyGigs, a new adult industry networking platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Cream Pie Challenge' Fundraiser

Pineapple Support is hosting its Cream Pie Challenge through August to raise funds for mental health services for industry performers.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Show More