CHICAGO — Gay adult company Flava Works has filed a federal lawsuit against Adam4Adam.com, alleging the gay hookup and dating website used scores of copyrighted and trademarked images to promote and sell third-party products.
“Flava Works did not license Adam4Adam to use its copyrighted works to promote these products and services that have no affiliation with our company," Flava Works CEO and founder Phillip Bleicher told XBIZ.
Bleicher said that despite repeated attempts to have the company cease copyright and trademark infringement, Adam4Adam and its owner and operator, Marc Parent, "continued to infringe on our works” and are misleading customers into purchasing these products and services.
The suit, filed at federal court in Florida in August, was challenged last week by Parent and his Montreal-based company, which asked the court to dismiss it on numerous grounds.
Chicago-based Flava Works in the suit said that content allegedly posted on Adam4Adam came from its FlavaMen.com, MixItUpBoy.com, ThugBoy.com, RawRods.com, PapiCock. com and CocoDorm.com sites, among others.
Flava Works said that it sent numerous DMCA notices out to the operators of Adam4Adam ordering takedowns, but Adam4Adam did not comply.
Flava Works' suit seeks unspecified and punitive damages, as well as a restraining order and a disgorgement of profits. It also asks the court to transfer the Adam4Adam.com domain to the studio.
Parent did not respond for XBIZ comment by post time.