With many recent filings in the Eastern, Western and Middle U.S. Districts Courts of North Carolina, film production companies Headhunter, 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.

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 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 significant amount of past BitTorrent copyright litigation.

Both 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 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 other North Carolina BitTorrent suits, these complaints were signed by Cary, N.C. attorneys Kathleen M. Lynch and/or R. Matthew Van Sickle.  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: 06/16/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00296
Headhunter, LLC v. Does 1-9

Filed: 06/16/2017
Case No. 1:17-cv-00545
HEADHUNTER, LLC v. DOES 1-8

Filed: 06/23/2017
Case No. 2:17-cv-00029
Headhunter, LLC v. Does 1-10

Filed: 06/23/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00310
Headhunter, LLC v. Does 1-9

Filed: 06/23/2017
Case No. 3:17-cv-00342
Headhunter, LLC v. Does 1-9

Filed: 06/28/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00318
Headhunter, LLC v. Does 1-8

Filed: 06/28/2017
Case No. 4:17-cv-00089
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-15

Filed: 07/07/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00333
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-12

Filed: 07/07/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00334
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-11

Filed: 07/07/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00337
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-12

Filed: 07/09/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00339
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-11

Filed: 07/09/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00340
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-12

Filed: 07/28/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00128
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-11

Filed: 07/28/2017
Case No. 3:17-cv-00445
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-10

Filed: 08/14/2017
Case No. 1:17-cv-00219
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-9

Filed: 08/25/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00432
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-18

Filed: 08/25/2017
Case No. 7:17-cv-00172
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-14

Filed: 08/31/2017
Case No. 5:17-cv-00439
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-15

Filed: 08/31/2017
Case No. 2:17-cv-00039
Venice PI, LLC v. Does 1-12