Copyright Lawsuit against Meta by Adult Film Producers

Two notable adult film production companies, 3 Holdings and CounterLife Media, have initiated a copyright lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook. They claim that the company has improperly utilized their videos to develop AI models.

These studios, known for creating popular adult content under brands like Vixen and Tushy, allege that Meta has illegally downloaded over 2,396 of their films via BitTorrent since 2018. This footage was reportedly used to train various AI systems, including Meta’s AI film generator and the large language model known as LLAMA.

Filed in a California federal court, the lawsuit contends that the exploitation of these copyrighted adult films could lead to the production of low-cost, high-quality pornographic content, ultimately jeopardizing the studios’ businesses. The plaintiffs stress that Meta’s AI could imitate their unique style and quality in full-length films that would be difficult for traditional adult studios to replicate.

Additionally, the lawsuit points out that Meta not only downloaded these copyrighted works without authorization but also shared them with third parties engaged in BitTorrent file sharing. This claim is backed by data from the studios’ tracking software, VXN Scan. BitTorrent’s sharing system, known as “Tit for Tat,” incentivizes users to distribute content to enhance download speeds. The studios argue that Meta selectively shared pirated files to benefit from faster downloads and wider content access.

The suspicion surrounding Meta’s actions arose after BitTorrent activities were uncovered in another lawsuit involving a book author. In that case, it was revealed that Meta obtained content from the pirated source. This discovery led the adult film producers to investigate BitTorrent data archives, uncovering 47 IP addresses linked to potential copyright infringements. The lawsuit lists thousands of suspected violations stemming from these addresses. Strike 3 Holdings has previously taken legal action against individuals accused of downloading videos via BitTorrent, often being labeled a “copyright troll.”

As a result of these allegations, the studios are accusing Meta of both direct and secondary copyright infringement. They are demanding a jury trial and legal damages that could amount to $150,000 per work for intentional infringement. With 2,396 films involved, the potential financial penalties could reach an astonishing $359 million.

A spokesperson for Meta stated they are reviewing the allegations but believe that Strike 3’s claims are inaccurate.