Visa and Mastercard Sued Over Porn Copyrights

[pornJester]

Check this, pretty interesting...

"Perfect 10 Inc., which publishes an adult magazine and operates an adult Web site, says hundreds of Web site operators around the world are selling its trademarked images. While Perfect 10 has sued many of these outfits, its biggest beef is with the credit card companies that process the infringers' transactions. The porn company says that without the support of these financial institutions, infringers wouldn't be able to steal their stuff."

http://www.nylawyer.com/news/04/06/060704e.html

[SykkBoy]

Something I find funny about Perfect10 is the only money they've made from the internet has been derived from lawsuits...

while I support their quest for copyright violators, I think they made a lot of enemeies from people who could be friends and make them a lot more money on the Internet as magazine sales continue to dwindle...they have amazing content, but not a really noticeable presence on the Internet (other than content posted by theives)

[jimmyf]

wasn't something posted about a year ago this ?

[JFK]

This has been in the works for a while

[Bansheelinks]

Originally posted by jimmyf
wasn't something posted about a year ago this ?

yep its real old news

[BV]

Originally posted by jimmyf
wasn't something posted about a year ago this ?

yep

[zzgundamnzz]

Originally posted by SykkBoy2
Something I find funny about Perfect10 is the only money they've made from the internet has been derived from lawsuits...

while I support their quest for copyright violators, I think they made a lot of enemeies from people who could be friends and make them a lot more money on the Internet as magazine sales continue to dwindle...they have amazing content, but not a really noticeable presence on the Internet (other than content posted by theives)

Your right magazine sales are dwindling. Who needs print when you got it on your computer screen...

They should open up a new, better, innovative affiliate program.

When they do that they'll have presence.

[Webby]

SykkBoy2:

Something I find funny about Perfect10 is the only money they've made from the internet has been derived from lawsuits...

Odd how much some can turn a profit from litigation!!

Stuff em all unless there is a "genuine" case! All this legal shit is a "syndrome" nobody needs - it's got fuck all to do with real life!

[Bob Vila]

this is great news, i dont pay enough in interest yet

[FTVGirls]

yes, but have you seen the dummy that is behind perfect 10? He created an amazing franchise, but he is still a mental midget in all other aspects.

[Paul Markham]

It's amazing how little people think this could effect them. This could shake up the industry totally.

What Perfact 10 are saying is if you profit from stolen goods you are liable. Well actually thats what the law says.

So think about it, every sponsor who allows a webmaster to steal content to promote them. Every TGP site that has a page of stolen content on it, all could be facing being taken to court and sued.

The credit card companies say requiring them to enforce the property rights of a third party is unheard of and would have ramifications for all service providers.

"It's an attempt to enforce copyright and trademark liability far beyond any published case ever," said Mark Jansen, a partner at Townsend and Townsend and Crew who is representing Visa.

"If the court were to impose liability in that context and make companies subject to contributory liability on the basis of aiding and abetting infringement, that would extend across commerce," he added. "It would convert financial institutions into judges, juries and policemen."

What no one is saying is that it's not allowed under the law, they are just saying it has not been done before. Well maybe that's no defense in law.

It would be the kiss of death for webmasters and affiliate programs, what restrictions Visa decide to implement on us can only be imagined.

But here the comments are all about Perfect 10 not have a good affiliate program. Wake up and smell the coffee kids, the guy is making enough money to afford to sue Visa. Seems he's doing all right without lots of webmasters.

[Paul Markham]

Originally posted by FTVGirls
yes, but have you seen the dummy that is behind perfect 10? He created an amazing franchise, but he is still a mental midget in all other aspects.

Look at who has the most money, you or him?

[crockett]

not sure what to think about this...

is it a case where prefect 10 tried to get visa to stop processing for these sites and visa refused

or

is it a case that Prefect 10 is just going after the big boy instead of trying to solve their own problems.


which will possibly harm this industry.

[SykkBoy]

Originally posted by charly
Look at who has the most money, you or him?

yeah, but imagine how much more he would have if he knew what he was doing Internet-wise

don't get me wrong, I love his magazine and my wife even bought a gift subscription for me.....I just think he could make more money with his content by concentrating on his internet product line....but, I think by going after Visa and Mastercard directly, he'll only bring more problems on the industry as a whole...

[Paul Markham]

Originally posted by crockett
not sure what to think about this...

is it a case where prefect 10 tried to get visa to stop processing for these sites and visa refused

or

is it a case that Prefect 10 is just going after the big boy instead of trying to solve their own problems.


which will possibly harm this industry.

So how do you suggest he stops people stealing his content and using it illegally? Sue some 18 year old working from his bedroom or going after the people profitting from the theft?

I just think he could make more money with his content by concentrating on his internet product line

Well he's not doing to badly by suing people. Run a website to make profit or sue thieves, I wonder which one is the most profitable. I hear he employs two lawyers to sue people.

And he did not bring this on the industry, the industry brought it on itself. He sued AC and got a settlement, which means he won, and still the industry ignored the thieves.

There are many many programs that do NOTHING to find and close down the pirates. They will do anything to get their traffic, even when you find the stolen content on the site of a habitual thief some sponsors do nothing.

There excuse is thay have too many affiliates to police them, so they do nothing.

Well now it may cost them $1,000 for every stolen image that is being used to drive traffic to them. My fault they have thieves as webmasters or theirs?

[crockett]

Originally posted by charly
So how do you suggest he stops people stealing his content and using it illegally? Sue some 18 year old working from his bedroom or going after the people profitting from the theft?

I don't have a sollution for him, if I did I'd probally be rich. What I was getting at , did they atleast try to solve this issue buy taking it up with the hosts, or the programs these guys were promoting? Or did they just go sue happy and decide to go after visa.

[chupacabra]

the last thing anyone who profits from the online adult industry would want to do these days is *try* to piss VISA off..

[Paul Markham]

Originally posted by crockett
I don't have a sollution for him, if I did I'd probally be rich. What I was getting at , did they atleast try to solve this issue buy taking it up with the hosts, or the programs these guys were promoting? Or did they just go sue happy and decide to go after visa.

He went after AC and won, he is always going after people. It seems that unless the industry polices itself he will have lots of people to go after.

I would assume he puts a label on his content and spends time and money looking for it on the net.

Maybe after years of going after the small fry he decided to go after Visa, knowing they would make the industry sit up and take notice.

[Paul Markham]

Originally posted by chupacabra
the last thing anyone who profits from the online adult industry would want to do these days is *try* to piss VISA off..

Don't you think he thought about the consequences of taking on Visa?

What would happen to him if Visa pulled out?

Magazine sales would rise again, a lot more would use dialers or other payment methods would come in.

The adult Internet is here to stay, how it operates and who will be here will change.