Flava Works Files $1.2M Infringement Suit Against Mainstream TV Exec

Flava Works Files $1.2M Infringement Suit Against Mainstream TV Exec

CHICAGO — Flava Works today filed a $1.2 million lawsuit against well-known mainstream TV exec Marc Juris for allegedly distributing its gay black and Latino online content on file-sharing sites.

Juris is the network president and general manager of WE tv, the AMC Network-owned digital cable and satellite TV channel.

Flava Works, in a suit filed at Chicago federal court, said that Juris joined its membership site, copied content and later posted it on sites with peer-to-peer file-sharing technology.

Phil Bleicher, Flava Works founder and CEO, told XBIZ today that Juris was issued a cease-and-desist over alleged sharing and urged to settle out of court. But Juris refused, he said.

“We have ample evidence to prove that its him — from matching emails, IP, logs and usernames — and he continued to share our copyrighted works,” Bleicher said. “Now we are suing him for $1.2 million.”

Bleicher said that Juris recently sought out a judicial declaration from a federal judge that he didn’t infringe on the website network. That court action, however, did not include Juris’ name; the plaintiff is identified only as a John Doe.

In that legal matter, Doe argued that Flava Works extorts subscribers by filing boilerplate lawsuits without identifying users by name.

“Defendant Flava Works operates pornographic websites for gay men. Capitalizing on the social stigma of its own product, Flava Works has apparently discovered a lucrative side business: extorting money from former subscribers by threatening to expose them as consumers of gay porn,” Doe said in the separate complaint.

“Even if the accusation is false, most users reluctantly pay rather than be outed in court documents as a gay porn user — especially if the victim has chosen to keep his sexual orientation private,” Doe said.

Armed with evidence, however, Bleicher said that he’s fingered the right individual and added that Flava Works is planning to file a series of lawsuits against “other alleged copyright infringers who are members of Gay-Torrents.org, GayTorrent.ru and several other illegal file-sharing websites soon to put an end to the rampant stealing of intellectual property.”

Flava Works operates FlavaMen.com, MixItUpBoy.com, ThugBoy.com, RawRods.com, PapiCock. com and CocoDorm.com, among other gay ethnic porn sites.

“Flava Works models and staff spend countless hours producing our high-quality videos and images only to have a few people steal them and distribute to these illegal file-sharing websites,” Bleicher told XBIZ. "This will stop, one lawsuit at a time." 

Doe's attorney, Ben Meiselas of Geragos & Geragos, did not immediately respond for comment by XBIZ 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

Age Verification Watch: Michigan Joins the AV Club; Some Laws Just Make No Sense

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Free Speech Groups Back SCOTUS Appeal of Georgia Strip Club Tax

Two civil liberties organizations filed an amicus brief Tuesday supporting a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a case involving whether a tax specifically aimed at adult entertainment establishments violates the First Amendment.

Mobile Adult Networking App 'Plaiir' Launches

A mobile adult networking app, Plaiir, has officially launched.

Swedish Court Rules LELO Products Do Not Infringe 'Invalid' Satisfyer Patent

A Swedish district court has ruled that a patent filed by Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH is not valid, and therefore three products from pleasure brand LELO are not in violation.

North Dakota House Committee Questions Anti-Porn 'Public Health Hazard' Claim

The North Dakota House of Representatives Education Committee on Monday amended a resolution that would have recognized pornography as a “public health hazard,” instead replacing that language with a call for further study into whether such a designation is appropriate.

Adult Site Broker Relaunches Site

Adult Site Broker has relaunched its website with several updates.

Pink and White Productions Relaunches PinkLabel.TV

Pink and White Productions has relaunched its PinkLabel.tv streaming platform.

Wick Entertainment Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Wick Entertainment has joined the ranks of over 60 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

MyMember.site Debuts Digital Rights Management Feature

MyMember.site has introduced a Digital Rights Management (DRM) feature to its platform.

Wyoming Governor Signs Age Verification Law

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed the state's new age verification bill into law yesterday.

Show More