Strike 3 Holdings Settles Piracy Lawsuit Before Federal Trial

TAMPA—The parent company of high-end porn imprints Vixen, Blacked, Blacked Raw, Tushy, MILFY and Deeper has settled a major piracy lawsuit in a federal district court in Florida. Strike 3 Holdings, a Delaware limited liability company, settled with accused pirate John Adaire in a suit that made it much further than most of this type do—while Strike 3 has filed thousands of copyright infringement cases, the majority of them end with private settlements long before coming anywhere near a courtroom. Legal counsel for Strike 3 and Adaire reached an agreement at the last minute, avoiding a federal jury trial. Torrent Freak reports a permanent injunction was agreed to in the negotiation of a settlement deal. Defense counsel Curt Edmondson said the settlement was “amicably resolved to the satisfaction of all.” The attorney representing Strike 3 Holdings in this matter, Christian Waugh, views the outcome of this particular case as a “historic” win. According to the same media report on the settlement, the injunction has yet to be adopted by the federal district court in Florida. Under the permanent injunction, the defendant will have to pay $125,000 in compensatory damages if the injunction is violated in the future. Waugh told Torrent Freak’s Ernesto Van der Sar that the settlement, and the granting of an injunction in this format, “is a historic result for content creators and owners like my client.” Waugh added: “There are extraordinary penalties, including contempt, if the defendant ever violates the injunction imposed by the court.” Edmondson, speaking on the settlement, maintains his client did not download any movies produced by Strike 3’s brands and has no desire to do so. Strike 3 Holdings has filed more than 1,600 piracy lawsuits against defendants in 2023 alone. This is a record, according to some reports. The 2023 figure is an increase of 57 percent compared to the first half of the previous calendar year.  Strike 3 Holdings v. Adaire was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.