Appeals Court to Hear Porn Piracy Case on Monday

WASHINGTON — The Electronic Frontier Foundation will ask a federal appeals court on Monday to prevent AF Holdings from obtaining the identities of more than 1,000 users who may have downloaded a copyrighted adult film via bit torrent.

EFF is backing ISPs in an effort to quash subpoenas issued in the case.  The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation and the ACLU of the Nation’s Capitol joined EFF in an amicus brief, arguing that AF Holdings unfairly sued the John Does in Washington, D.C., even though the users were located all over the country. 

AF Holdings argues that it is allowed to obtain the identities of the ISPs’ customers in Washington, D.C., even, because they might reside in the district or the alleged infringement may have occurred there. But the ISPs that were subpoenaed – including Cox, AT&T and Verizon – told the court that it was easy to discover that only 20 of the IP addresses were associated with Washington, D.C.

Representatives for ISPS will offer the principal argument, the EFF said. However, the court took the unusual step of allowing friends of the court to appear and argue as well.

EFF director Corynne McSherry — speaking on behalf of EFF, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of the Nation's Capital, Public Citizen and Public Knowledge —  will urge the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to reverse a lower court decision that allowed the plaintiff to seek identifying information for the Does without complying with basic procedural rules.

The EFF said in a release that AF Holdings is linked to Prenda Law, "a firm that is facing allegations that it used stolen identities and fictitious signatures on key legal documents and made other false statements to the courts."

"AF Holdings will have an opportunity to address the court but has so far not designated a representative for the hearing," the EFF said.

View EFF's amicus brief

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