Volume II

Issue : 3: February 5, 2004

• U.S. National Cable Association Proposes Limited VoIP Regulation
• The VoIP Regulatory Debate Intensifies in Canada - TRAI Amends its Quality of Service Regulations for VoIP Long Distance Service in India
• Minnesota Judge Refuses to Reserve VoIP Decision - Panama Introduces Tax on VoIP
• Lawsuit Launched Against Credit Card Companies over Piracy of Internet Pornography
• U.S. Telemarketers Required to Identify Themselves to Consumers by Caller ID
• Federal, British Columbia and Alberta Privacy Commissioners Agree to Cooperate
• FTC Releases Report on 2003 Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaints
• B.C. Court Rules Forward Looking Infra-Red Technology Does Not Constitute a Search
• RIAA Targets Individuals on Anonymous Basis - Australia Music Industry Sues ISP
• France Gets Ready to Take Action against Internet Piracy
• Canadian Company to Offer High-speed Internet Access Via Hydro Lines
• U.S. Court of Appeals Finds Formation of On-line Contract Does Not Require "I Agree"
• Ontario Court Asserts Jurisdiction Over Washington Post Based on Online Publication

Home > Volume II > Issue 3: February 5, 2004 > Lawsuit Launched Against Credit Card Companies over Piracy of Internet Pornography

Lawsuit Launched Against Credit Card Companies over Piracy of Internet Pornography

Internet piracy appears to be threatening the adult magazine industry. Perfect 10, a California based publisher of a pornographic magazine and Website, is suing Visa International and MasterCard International, among others, for ".knowingly providing crucial transactional support services for the sale of millions of stolen photos and film clips worth billions of dollars that belong to Perfect 10 and third parties," according to the complaint which was filed in the U.S. District Court for Northern California.

Perfect 10 alleges that other Websites have pirated their Website content for profit, often using duplicitous advertising, while it has legitimately paid for its content. The publisher claims that credit card companies have made substantial amounts of money from the sale of pirated pornography, and should be held to account for any related copyright violations. Perfect 10 believes that the only effective way to stop the piracy is to attack the organizations that act as facilitators, namely, the credit card companies.

The publisher claims to have lost 29 million dollars since 1996, including $8 million in legal fees. While Internet piracy has impacted the bottom line of the music, software and film industries, the publisher feels that there is a lack of sympathy for those in the adult magazine business facing similar problems.

For a copy of the article, visit:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040129/80/eknjl.html