Penthouse, W. Hollywood Nightclub Settle Trademark Suit

Penthouse, W. Hollywood Nightclub Settle Trademark Suit

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Penthouse Global Media and the owners of the legendary Factory Nightclub in West Hollywood have quietly settled a trademark infringement suit that claimed the sprawling club poached the “Penthouse” mark for various events.

In August, Penthouse counsel filed suit against the operators of the Factory Nightclub after they found that the massive club branded itself with various "Penthouse" names, including "Penthouse West Hollywood," "Penthouse DayClub Sundays," "PH Day Club -- Luxury," "Penthouse Day Club" and "PH Hollywood."

But several months later, Penthouse and Factory Nightclub notified the court that a settlement was reached and the case has been taken off calendar.

On Monday, Factory Nightclub counsel Sagar Parikh confirmed to XBIZ that Penthouse and Factory owners Nathan Goller and Joe Villa have reached a settlement agreement in principle and have completed documentation of the deal. Parikh, however, did not reveal any terms of the settlement.

“Unfortunately, I cannot provide any comment other than the case was settled and resolved,” Parikh said.

Many in the adult biz are quite familiar with the Factory Nightclub because it has been home of the annual Cybersocket Web Awards for years.

The club, one of the most successful and longest-lived entertainment venues in the Los Angeles-area, also is well known because it is situated across from the street from The Abbey, West Hollywood's highest-grossing bar and club.  

Penthouse first took notice of the Factory Nightclub's use of the trademarked name on the club in 2014 and later issued a cease-and-desist letter to its operators, according to the suit.

The suit also took note of Penthouse' s trademarked name used in two sites the club operators use — PHWestHollywood.com and PenthouseWestHollywood.com — to promote the nightclubs and "dayclubs."

At post time PenthouseWestHollywood.com does not resolve but PHWestHollywood.com does.

Penthouse noted that the adult entertainment company, owned by Kelly Holland, has registered trademarks specifically to combat appropriation, including those marks relating to nightclubs, bars and restaurant services.

Penthouse sought damages in the suit, including up to three times damages sustained by plaintiff and three times defendants' profits. It also was seeking injunctive relief prohibiting defendants from future unauthorized use of the Penthouse marks, as well as attorneys fees.

Penthouse's counsel did not respond to XBIZ for comment on the story by post time.

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

Le Wand Dive Gets Wired.com Review

Le Wand Dive has been spotlighted by WIRED with a review by tech and lifestyle journalist Amanda Chatel.

Texas Resumes AV Lawsuit Against Aylo Following SCOTUS Decision

A district court judge in Texas has unfrozen the state’s $1.6 million lawsuit against Aylo for allegedly failing to comply with age verification requirements, Bloomberg Law is reporting.

Nadia Jay Stars in Latest From Brazzers

Nadia Jay stars with Mick Blue in the latest release from Brazzers, titled "Fucking the Bath Voyeur."

Blush Introduces 'Splash' Vibe

Blush has debuted its new duck-themed Splash vibrator.

SVibe Debuts 2 New Vibrators

SVibe has introduced the new Snail GIZI Duo and Snail AXI Spot Wand.

Tommy Gunn Reflects on His Legendary Past as He Looks to the Future

Tommy Gunn is wearing an eyepatch. It’s not an homage to the classic "Pirates" porn parody franchise, in which Gunn takes on the Johnny Depp role. The eyepatch is a temporary measure to help him deal with a nerve palsy that came out of nowhere several years ago and affects his vision from time to time. Gunn needs his vision. As one of the adult industry’s longest-serving male stars, he still has plenty to look forward to.

Rocco Siffredi Directs New Rebel Rhyder Showcase

Evil Angel has released Rocco Siffredi’s Rebel Rhyder showcase title, "Rebel Meets Rebel."

JuicyAds Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

JuicyAds has won its World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the company's site and defraud customers.

Shalina Devine Toplines 'Thr3e #7' From Dorcel

Shalina Devine headlines the latest release from Dorcel, titled "Thr3e #7."

Chloe Amour Headlines 'Unfaithful Betrayal 3' From Bellesa Films

Chloe Amour toplines the third volume of “Unfaithful Betrayal” from Bellesa Films.

Show More