Court Issues Opinion in Penthouse, FriendFinder Lawsuit

Court Issues Opinion in Penthouse, FriendFinder Lawsuit

GEORGETOWN, Del. — A Delaware court today ordered Penthouse Global Media Inc. to turn over nine websites that weren’t part of a purchase agreement with FriendFinder Networks Inc.

Last year, FriendFinder unintentionally gave domain authorization codes to Penthouse as part of a February 2016 stock deal involving 16 subsidiaries worth $6.5 million to the new ownership of Penthouse that, according to the lawsuit, took control of the sites and had been redirecting visitors to its own online properties.

FriendFinder, in its suit filed at Chancery Court of Delaware, asserted that Penthouse converted FriendFinder property. Today, the court said in its 56-page ruling that Penthouse must turn over all the disputed domains to FriendFinder within 10 days.

“FriendFinder has shown that under the stock purchase agreement, the disputed domains were associated with, used in, or material to the FriendFinder business at the time of closing,” the court said in its order. “Penthouse has not put forth any evidence that it is entitled to any of the disputed domains under the stock purchase agreement.”

Two of the sites involved in the suit, BookOfSex.com and HornyWife.com, have been used for years as co-brands of FriendFinder's adult dating site, AdultFriendFinder.com.

The suit said that BookOfSex.com and HornyWife.com accounted for a large portion of FriendFinder revenue through membership fees and advertising revenue. FriendFinder noted in the suit that in the first four days after the transfer of the sites was noticed, it lost out on $7,300 in ad revenue.

Jonathan Buckheit, FriendFinder’s CEO, today said he was thankful to get the websites under his company’s control.

"While we are pleased to finally be getting our property back, we believe the context of this situation, as reflected by the court's comment that Penthouse presented no applicable evidence, never should have required legal proceedings to resolve," Buckheit said.

Penthouse CEO Kelly Holland told XBIZ she would soon issue a statement in regards to the decision.

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

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.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

NYC Adult Stores Petition for Rehearing in Zoning Law Case

A group of adult businesses on Tuesday petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to rehear a case involving a zoning law that could severely limit adult stores’ operations in New York City.

Ofcom Releases Transparency Reporting Guidelines

Ofcom, the U.K. media regulator, has made public its official guidance detailing how online service providers — including adult sites — will be required to publish annual transparency reports on their efforts to protect children from online harms.

New AV Rules Take Effect for Ireland-Based Sites

Ireland’s Online Safety Code came into force Monday, including a provision requiring adult sites headquartered in Ireland to implement age assurance measures beyond self-declaration.

XBIZ Amsterdam Calls on New Startups for 'Spotlight' Program

XBIZ is pleased to announce that its new “Startup Spotlight” programming will make its European premiere at XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel Amsterdam.

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.

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.

Show More