Steadfast Dropped From ALS Scan's Infringement Suit

Steadfast Dropped From ALS Scan's Infringement Suit

LOS ANGELES — A federal judge last week pared Steadfast from a lawsuit waged by adult publisher ALS Scan, finding that the hosting provider is not liable for copyright-infringing activities that took place on the server of a client.

ALS Scan in 2016 dragged Steadfast, as well as other third-party internet companies, into court after connecting the dots after finding its original adult material on sites offering pirated content.

Claims against ad network Juicy Ads and cloud computing company Hebergement OVH Inc. were dropped from the suit last year.

Content delivery network provider Cloudfare, however, continues as a defendant in the suit. While Cloudflare has managed to slice off several counts, the accusation of contributory copyright infringement still remains on the table.

ALS argued in its case against Steadfast that it refused to shut down the servers of image-sharing platform Imagebam.com, which was operated by its client Flixya.

Steadfast received dozens of DMCA notices regarding the infringement, according to ALS Scan, but Steadfast refused to act on them.

However, Steadfast denied the allegations, stating that the hosting provider did indeed lease servers to Flixya for 10 years and that it forwarded all notices to the client.

The hosting company said it could not address individual infringements and take action, other than shutting down the entire site, which would have been disproportionate in its view.

U.S. District Judge George Wu agreed with Steadfast and dismissed all copyright and trademark infringing claims, concluding that Steadfast did enough to put a crimp in copyright and trademark infringement.

“[T]he court is not convinced that Steadfast had any reason, legal or practical, to terminate Flixya’s account and power down its servers,” according to Wu’s ruling, which dismissed all claims — including contributory copyright infringement, vicarious copyright infringement and contributory trademark infringement — against Steadfast with prejudice.

Wu, in his ruling for summary judgment, found “that Steadfast did not ‘[fail] to take simple measures’ to prevent the specific acts of infringement of which it was aware. Steadfast took simple steps that resulted in all of the at-issue images being removed.”

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

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.

25,000 Sign Petition to Legalize Pornography in Ukraine

An OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine has amassed the 25,000 signatures required for official consideration by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Show More