LOS ANGELES—Mansef, Inc. and Froytal Services Limited filed a lawsuit Aug. 19 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against Ventura Content and Denali Holdings, alleging federal trademark infringement, false designation of origin, common law trademark infringement and unfair business practices.
According to the complaint, the Canadian corporation Mansef owned and operated Brazzers.com and BrazzersMobile.com, collectively known as the Brazzers websites, up until March 1, 2010, and that as of that date Froytal, a Cyprus corporation, owns the Brazzers websites.
The complaint also alleges that Ventura Content is and was an Aruban corporate entity, with its principal places of business in Van Nuys, Calif., and Tucson, Ariz., and is the owner/operator of PinkVisual.com and iPinkVisual.com. Denali Holdings is alleged to be a California corporation with its principal place of business in La Jolla.
The complaint states, “Plaintiffs are informed, believe, and based thereon allege, that in an effort to drive traffic to the Pink Visual Websites (and, more specifically, to divert traffic to the Brazzers Websites to the Pink Visual Websites), Defendants purchased as Google AdWords keywords containing or constituting the Brazzers mark, including, but not limited to: ‘Brazzers,’ ‘Brazzers Mobile,’ and ‘Brazzers Vids’ (collectively ‘the Keywords’).”
The plaintiffs claim that their goodwill, reputation and business have been, and continue to be, severely and irreparably damaged as a result of the alleged acts, and are asking the court to enjoin the defendants from any further such activity, and also to pay triple compensatory damages sustained as a result of their alleged actions. Punitive damages also are being requested, in an amount consistent with any gain or profit derived as a result of the acts, in addition to attorneys’ fees and costs associated with “corrective advertising.”
In response to a query by AVN, the defendant replied, “Ventura is aware of the complaint, we are reviewing it and will respond appropriately through the courts.”
Mansef v. Ventura can be read here.
