With several recent filings in Oregon, film productions companies Headhunter, LLC, POW Nevada LLC and Venice PI, LLC appear to be the next most prolific instigators of “Troll-style” federal copyright litigation.
The Headhunter, LLC filings involve the 2016 drama flick A Family Man, which stars Willem Dafoe as a striving executive in a job placement firm struggling to balance work and family troubles. Although its production began years ago, the film was only released in theaters in late July of 2017.
Other actions were filed by POW Nevada, LLC and involve the sci-fi flick Revolt, produced under the working title Prisoners of War. The film is apparently still unreleased in U.S. theaters.
The Venice PI, LLC suits are based on the 2017 action/comedy Once Upon A Time in Venice, which features Bruce Willis on a caper which ensues after his beloved pet is stolen. Described in a Variety review as a “direct-to-video-style Nineties throwback,” the reviewer also saw the possibility that the producers would seek revenue from “ancillary and streaming.” Combining a film’s lack of box office success with a likely substantial budget has been observed to be associated with a significant amount of past BitTorrent copyright litigation.
All three titles are affiliated with notorious copyright enforcer Voltage Pictures, LLC, with distribution rights or co-production credits with regard to each title. Voltage Pictures is said to be the driving force behind hundreds of similar BitTorrent copyright actions that have been filed in recent years, including those related to film titles such as Dallas Buyers Club, Good Kill, The Cobbler, Fathers & Daughters, Pay the Ghost, and The Hurt Locker.
The recent suits are in addition to similar filings against hundreds of Doe defendants in many other District Courts across the nation. In each case, the plaintiffs allege infringement of the films via the U.S. of BitTorrent file-sharing software applications. They seek statutory damages, which range from $750 minimum per work up to $150,000 (if infringements are deemed “willful”), plus injunctions against further infringement, attorney’s fees, and court costs.
Like many other similar lawsuits filed in the District of Oregon, these cases were filed by Salem, OR attorney Carl D. Crowell and Crowell Law. A case listing with links to the complaints is below.
Parties and subscribers receiving ISP notices of these actions can contact attorney Benjamin Justus for a free consultation regarding possible options.
Filed: 06/08/2017
Case No. 3:17-cv-00900
Headhunter, LLC v. Doe-50.53.158.186
Filed: 06/08/2017
Case No. 3:17-cv-00901
Headhunter, LLC v Doe-71.236.186.17
Filed: 06/27/2017
Case No. 3:17-cv-01001
Venice PI, LLC v. Doe-71.59.242.118
Filed: 06/27/2017
Case No. 3:17-cv-01002
Venice PI, LLC v. Doe-73.96.114.240
Filed: 07/20/2017
Case No. 3:17-cv-01133
POW Nevada, LLC v. Doe-76.27.245.245
Filed: 07/20/2017
Case No. 3:17-cv-01134
POW Nevada, LLC v. Doe-73.157.238.5