Canada-based Sweet Entertainment Group of Companies, owner of adult affiliate program SweetMoney and content provider site SweetErotica, has been awarded statutory damages in excess of $1.5 million, plus $12,717 in attorneys’ fees, as the result of an infringement suit filed against adult content site SickPuppy.
The judgment was handed down on Dec. 19 by the U.S. District, Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division against defendants The Marin Group Inc., DateApp Inc., Kenneth G. Farrar, and John-Michael Cataldi.
According to Sweet’s attorney, Paul Kent-Snowsell, the judgment was awarded in the absence of a defense from any of the named defendants.
“They chose to ignore the threat of litigation and the action, and they didn’t decide to defend the suit,” Kent-Snowsell told AVNOnline.com. “We took all steps necessary to give them notice of the suit, in pursuant of Georgia law and British Columbia law, and the courts were satisfied that all proper notice had been given, and proceeded in their absence.”
The suit was launched in 2006 after Sweet Entertainment reps discovered Sweet-owned images on the SickPuppy site. A statement from Sweet’s legal department stated, “The Defendants denied infringement and continued to use Sweet’s images, even after being advised of the infringement.”
AVNOnline.com was unsuccessful in its attempts to contact SickPuppy, DateApp Inc., and John-Michael Cataldi.
Kent-Snowsell went on to say he felt the judgment is “very favorable for content production. It also shows the importance of registering copyright into your works so you can prove your copyright and get your attorney’s fees back.
“I think it’s a good judgment in that it [sends] a strong message to an infringer that infringing is a serious offense, and you’ll have to pay accordingly,” he added. “It sends a strong message to [any webmaster] that’s thinking of using copyright material. That’s a pretty sizable hit for someone to take for the little bit of revenue. That TGP gallery might not look so profitable anymore.”
