TACOMA — The MetArt Network has filed another infringement suit against a tube site allegedly streaming its movies and failing to honor DMCA takedown notices.
This time around MetArt has fingered the operators of Motherless.com, which is said to have provided more than 150 links that offer the studio's content.
MetArt, a Cyprus-based network of erotic sites that all offer nude and explicit sex through fine-art videography, called Motherless.com a “pirate website” that operates “under a veneer of DMCA compliance” in its complaint filed Wednesday.
“The owners and operators attempt to hide behind the safe-harbor provisions while monetizing the website through premium membership programs and substantial advertising contracts,” MetArt said in its suit.
Titles infringed with the links were said to include “White Room,” “Dare,” “Make Me Happy,” “Search SexArt,” “Secret Love,” “Spanish Lesson,” “Tantra Imaginations,” “The Cove,” “The Writer, “Presenting Zlatka,” “Stay Sweet” and “The Cove,” among others.
MetArt noted that the New York-based Motherless and its principals, including company president Joshua Lange and 20 unnamed defendants, not only did not honor DMCA notices but also failed to implement a reasonable repeat infringer policy.
“Thus, Motherless.com does not qualify for DMCA safe harbor protections,” MetArt said in the suit.
MetArt filed seven causes of action in the complaint, including copyright infringement, contributory and vicarious copyright infringement, as well as inducement of copyright infringement, trademark infringement, contributory trademark infringement, false designation of origin under the Lanham Act.
The suit seeks an injunction, transfer of the Motherless.com domain name and up to $2 million per instance of trademark infringement if found willful, among other requests for relief.
MetArt has been on a tear recently filing infringement suits. In March, the studio filed against 10 companies for allegedly stealing and streaming its content on 17 adult tube sites.
A MetArt spokesman declined comment to XBIZ on the case; Motherless and its operator, Lange, were not reachable at post time for comment.
