German Law Firm Must Pay Damages After Sending Porn Infringement Letters

COLOGNE — A German federal court has issued a default judgment against a law firm that sent out 20,000 copyright infringement letters to RedTube users who were notified that they had been streaming porn online illegally.

In 2013, the now-defunct German law firm of Urmann and Colleagues had been able to convince a Cologne federal court that it needed the names and addresses of users associated with IP addresses to commence infringement proceedings against them.

With those names and addresses in hand, Urmann and Colleagues, acting on behalf of Swiss copyright company Archive, sent out the 20,000 letters to recipients asking to settle and pay up per alleged infringement.

In the letters, Urmann and Colleagues ordered users in Germany to pay €1,000 in compensation for streaming "pirated" videos on as well as legal fees of €150 and investigative costs of up to €250 for streaming movies such as "Glamour Showgirls" and "Amanda's Secret" that were placed on RedTube.

RedTube’s owner, MindGeek, at the time said that it had nothing to do with the law firm’s shakedown of its users, which reportedly netted €600,000 for Urmann and Colleagues.

A year later, in January 2014, Germany's Ministry of Justice gave judicial notice that the mere viewing of a copyrighted video stream without permission is not in itself an act of copyright infringement.

After the notice was issued, litigators on behalf of some of the accused RedTube users emerged with a keen focus on looking at strong-arm tactics employed by Urmann and Colleagues and its name partner, Thomas Urmann.

A civil case asking for damages ensued, but Urmann failed to show up in court to defend It against him and his firm, which the court said was liable for damages.

The court ordered a default judgment, however a final ruling that will spell out the amount of damages Urmann and his firm will be on the hook for has yet to be filed by the court.

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

Roxie Rae Relaunches Site Through XSiteAbility

Roxie Rae has relaunched her site through XSiteAbility.

Federal Appeals Court Vacates FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Pending Review

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions, pending further review.

NYC Adult Stores Lose Challenge to Zoning Law, May Face Relocation

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on Tuesday upheld a lower court’s decision to allow enforcement of a 2001 zoning law aimed at forcing adult retail stores out of most parts of New York City.

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Show More