Porn company can sue Meta for torrenting its adult films for AI training, judge rules

Live updates

1. 1d ago

   Judge allows porn firms to sue Meta over AI training torrenting claims

   A California judge has rejected Meta’s attempt to dismiss lawsuits from adult film companies alleging large-scale unauthorized downloads of their content for AI training. The ruling calls Meta’s explanation of rogue employee activity unconvincing, letting copyright infringement claims proceed. Meta denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal. Legal experts remain skeptical of its defense. The case hinges on whether the alleged torrenting itself constitutes infringement.

   What's confirmed:

   • A California federal judge has blocked Meta’s motion to dismiss lawsuits from Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media, permitting their copyright infringement claims to proceed.
   • The ruling states Meta’s explanation of rogue employee downloads as the sole cause is unconvincing.
   • Meta denies any wrongdoing and has announced plans to appeal the decision.
   • Legal experts question the plausibility of Meta’s defense, particularly regarding the scale and intent of the alleged torrenting.
   • The case’s outcome hinges on whether Meta’s alleged torrenting of adult films itself constitutes copyright infringement, beyond its use for AI training.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • Meta’s new Facebook AI Mode, Muse Spark, uses public posts from Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to generate answers, raising broader questions about data scraping practices.
   confidence 95%
2. 2d ago

   Judge rules Meta can’t dismiss porn firms’ AI-training piracy lawsuit

   A California federal judge has blocked Meta’s attempt to dismiss lawsuits from Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media, allowing claims of large-scale torrenting of adult films for AI training to proceed. The ruling calls Meta’s explanation of rogue employee downloads unconvincing. Meta denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal. Legal experts question the plausibility of its defense. The case hinges on whether Meta’s alleged torrenting itself constitutes infringement, not just its use for AI.

   What's confirmed:

   • A Northern California federal judge denied Meta’s motion to dismiss copyright lawsuits filed by Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media, ruling the allegations of large-scale torrenting are legally sufficient.
   • The judge described Meta’s claim that rogue employees acted alone as ‘unconvincing,’ rejecting it as an alternative explanation for the alleged torrenting.
   • Meta maintains it did not use pirated adult films for AI training, arguing the downloads were for personal use and not part of its business operations.
   • The lawsuit alleges Meta illegally downloaded thousands of copyrighted videos from sites including Vixen.com, Tushy.com, and Blacked.com.
   • Meta has stated it will appeal the judge’s decision, continuing to deny any wrongdoing in the case.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • Legal experts suggest Meta’s defense of rogue employees acting independently lacks credibility, though this is not yet confirmed by court filings or additional sources.
   confidence 95%
3. 2d ago

   Judge Allows Porn Producers to Sue Meta Over AI Training Copyright Claims

   A U.S. federal judge has rejected Meta’s attempt to dismiss lawsuits from Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media, ruling the companies can proceed with allegations that Meta illegally used their adult films to train AI models. The decision follows accusations that Meta pirated thousands of copyrighted videos from Vixen.com, Tushy.com, and Blacked.com. Meta denies wrongdoing and has vowed to appeal. Legal experts question the credibility of Meta’s claims that rogue employees were responsible for the alleged piracy.

   What's confirmed:

   • A U.S. District Court judge has denied Meta’s motion to dismiss copyright lawsuits filed by Strike 3 Holdings and Counterlife Media, permitting claims that Meta pirated adult films to train AI models.
   • The judge found Meta’s argument that rogue employees were responsible for scraping thousands of videos from sites like Vixen.com, Tushy.com, and Blacked.com to be implausible.
   • Strike 3 Holdings, parent company of Vixen Media Group, alleges Meta used its copyrighted content without permission to develop AI training datasets.
   • Meta has stated it denies any wrongdoing and plans to appeal the ruling.
   • The lawsuit specifically targets Meta’s use of adult film content for AI training, with allegations that the company may have distributed pirated material.

   Still unconfirmed:

   • Meta may have distributed pirated adult content to minors as part of its AI training efforts, according to allegations in the lawsuit.
   confidence 98%