Matthew A. Levin, OSB #003054
MattLevin@MHGM.com
MARKOWITZ, HERBOLD, GLADE
& MEHLHAF, P.C.
1211 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 3000
Portland, OR 97204-3730
Tel: (503) 295-3085
Fax: (503) 323-9105
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF OREGON
PORTLAND DIVISION
ABS-CBN CORPORATION, a Philippine
corporation; ABS-CBN FILM
PRODUCTIONS, INC. d/b/a Star Cinema, a
Philippine corporation; and ABS-CBN
INTERNATIONAL, a California corporation,
Plaintiffs,
Case No.: _______________
COMPLAINT FOR TRADEMARK
AND COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT,
AND FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
vs.
FILED UNDER SEAL
JEFFREY ASHBY, an individual; LENIE
ASHBY, an individual; jointly d/b/a
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM;
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM;
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM;
PINOY-TVKO.COM; PINOYTVKO.BIZ;
PINOY-TUBE.COM;
MYPINOYTUBETV.COM;
PINOYTALAGA.COM;
PINOYSTREAMING.COM;
PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM;
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET;
PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO; and DOES 1100,
DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
Defendants.
ABS-CBN CORPORATION, ABS-CBN FILM PRODUCTIONS, INC. d/b/a Star
Cinema, and ABS-CBN INTERNATIONAL (hereinafter collectively, “Plaintiffs” or “ABSCBN”), by and through their counsel, hereby sue Defendants JEFFREY ASHBY and LENIE
ASHBY (the “Individual Defendants”), d/b/a WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM,
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WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM, WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM, PINOY-TVKO.COM,
PINOYTVKO.BIZ, PINOY-TUBE.COM, MYPINOYTUBETV.COM, PINOYTALAGA.COM,
PINOYSTREAMING.COM, PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM, PINOYTVEPISODES.NET, and
PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO (the “Subject Domain Names” identified on Schedule “A”), and
DOES 1-100 (with the Individual Defendants, collectively, “Defendants”), and allege as follows:
NATURE OF THE CASE
1.
This is an action for willful trademark and copyright piracy. ABS-CBN is the
largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines, producing thousands of hours of
original content every year for its numerous television stations, including daily drama teleseries,
drama anthologies, movies, musical and variety shows, game shows, reality shows, news
programs, current affairs programs, documentaries, music video 24/7 (Myx), AM talk radio with
DJ live on-screen (DZMM), FM radio shows with DJ live on-screen (MOR), and public affairs
programs. Every day, ABS-CBN’s programming is broadcast worldwide through its agreements
with dozens of cable companies’ premium channels, telecom provider partnerships, Internet
subscription services, and through its own 24-hour cable and satellite service, which offers payper-view programming.
2.
Defendants operate pirate websites under the Subject Domain Names identified
on Schedule “A” hereto, including WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM,
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM, WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM, PINOYTALAGA.COM,
PINOY-TVKO.COM, PINOYTVKO.BIZ, PINOY-TUBE.COM, MYPINOYTUBETV.COM,
PINOYSTREAMING.COM, AND PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM. On information and belief, the
Individual Defendants, JEFFREY ASHBY and LENIE ASHBY, are the registrants, owners
and/or operators of the Subject Domain Names and pirate websites through which Plaintiffs’
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intellectual property in its programs and brands is being infringed on an ongoing basis. In
addition, the Individual Defendants are believed to be the registrants, owners and/or operators of
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO, which, on information and belief,
both infringed ABS-CBN’s trademarks and copyrights, as stated herein.
3.
Further, at least Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY is believed to be one of the major
players personally responsible for the theft, copying and uploading of ABS-CBN’s content to
servers for viewing through Defendants’ and other pirate sites by hundreds of thousands of
Internet users worldwide each day. In this way, Defendants are able to offer the latest ABS-CBN
content often within minutes or hours of the original broadcast in the Philippines. Defendants
illegally promote to the public that they offer ABS-CBN’s content, including through the use of
Plaintiffs’ trademarks, and transmit full-length performances of ABS-CBN’s TV shows and
movies through their websites in order to illegally profit from ABS-CBN’s intellectual property,
without ABS-CBN’s consent.
4.
In addition to infringing Plaintiff’s trademarks and performing pirated copies of
Plaintiffs’ video content, Defendants are believed to distribute malware, spyware and other
nefarious, malicious and harmful software through the websites, typically in the guise of
software updates “needed” by the viewer in order to enhance their viewing experience of
Plaintiffs’ video content.
5.
Defendants’ profits from the infringement come at an enormous cost to Plaintiffs.
Defendants are responsible for mass infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works, causing
substantial harm to Plaintiffs, who have made significant investments of money, time and
creative energies to produce the content, and develop the technical platform, branding,
promotions and sales, and goodwill around their products and distribution channels. Moreover,
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because ABS-CBN operates worldwide, including through partnership agreements with premium
cable channels, through its own Internet pay subscription service, and through its own 24-hour
pay-per-view programming, free streaming of Plaintiffs’ content by Defendants deprives ABSCBN of substantial revenue that would otherwise be derived from consumers; diverts customers
worldwide from its subscription services and confuses consumers as to the source and legitimacy
of its content and distribution channels; harms ABS-CBN’s ability to continue to build out its
paying customer base, particularly in international markets; and interferes with and harms ABSCBN’s distribution agreements, hurting its and its partners’ profits.
6.
The Defendants’ websites are classic examples of pirate operations, operating
under false and anonymous aliases. Further, Defendants have shown their complete disregard
for Plaintiffs’ rights by, among other things, ignoring Plaintiffs’ notices to halt Defendants’
illegal enterprise, which caused Defendants repeatedly to move Subject Domain Names in an
effort to evade enforcement attempts. As a result, Plaintiffs require this Court’s intervention if
any meaningful stop is to be put to Defendants’ piracy.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
7.
This is an action seeking damages and injunctive relief for trademark
counterfeiting and infringement, and false designation of origin under the Lanham Act,
15 U.S.C. § 1051 et seq.; common law unfair competition; and copyright infringement under the
Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq.
8.
This Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 17 U.S.C. §§ 101 et seq.,
15 U.S.C. § § 1114 and 1125(a), and 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1338(a) & (b).
9.
This Court has supplemental jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1367 over the state
law claims, because the claims are so related to the trademark and copyright claims in this action
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over which this Court has original jurisdiction that they form part of the same case or
controversy under Article III of the United States Constitution.
10.
Venue is proper in this Court pursuant 28 U.S.C. § 1391(a), (b) and/or (c) and
28 U.S.C. § 1400(a). Personal jurisdiction is proper as to all Defendants because the Individual
Defendants are residents of this State, from which they operate the Subject Domain Names,
perpetrate the infringement complained of herein, and because all Defendants directly target
business activities towards consumers in Oregon and cause harm to ABS-CBN’s business within
this District through, at least, the websites operating under the Subject Domains.
THE PLAINTIFFS
11.
ABS-CBN Corporation is a public Philippine corporation.
12.
ABS-CBN Film Productions, Inc. is a Philippine corporation and wholly-owned
subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation.
13.
ABS-CBN International is a California corporation and a wholly-owned
subsidiary of ABS-CBN Corporation.
14.
Plaintiff, ABS-CBN International, is, and at all times relevant hereto has been, the
registered owner of the following trademarks, which are valid and registered on the Principal
Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (collectively the “ABS-CBN Marks”):
Trademark
Registration
Number
ABS-CBN
2,334,131
Registration
Date
Class / Services
IC 038 – Television broadcasting
March 28, 2000 services via satellite and cable
IC 038 – Cable television broadcast
THE FILIPINO
CHANNEL
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1,994,383
Aug. 20, 1996 IC 041 – Television show production
and programming.
15.
The ABS-CBN Marks are used in conjunction with high quality services in the
categories identified above.
16.
The ABS-CBN Marks have been used in interstate commerce for many years to
identify and distinguish ABS-CBN’s high quality services, including, but not limited to,
broadcast distribution services, for an extended period of time and serve as symbols of ABSCBN’s quality, reputation, and goodwill.
17.
The ABS-CBN Marks have never been assigned or licensed to the Defendants in
this matter.
18.
The ABS-CBN Marks are symbols of ABS-CBN’s quality, reputation, and
goodwill and have never been abandoned.
19.
ABS-CBN is also, and at all times relevant hereto has been, the owner of all rights
in and to the following common law trademark (the “ABS-CBN Common Law Trademark”):
Trademark
20.
The ABS-CBN Common Law Trademark is used in conjunction with high quality
products and services, including broadcasting distribution services.
21.
The ABS-CBN Common Law Trademark has been used in interstate commerce
for many years to identify and distinguish ABS-CBN’s high quality broadcasting distribution
services and serves as a symbol of ABS-CBN’s quality, reputation, and goodwill.
22.
The ABS-CBN Common Law Trademark has never been assigned or licensed to
the Defendants in this matter.
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23.
The ABS-CBN Common Law Trademark is a symbol of ABS-CBN’s quality,
reputation, and good will and has never been abandoned.
24.
ABS-CBN is the also the owner and/or the exclusive licensee of copyrights
registered in the United States and in the Philippines in connection with the production and
distribution of audio-visual content, including in the TV shows and movies in Exhibit 1.
25.
ABS-CBN is the largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines. All
of Plaintiffs’ TV shows and movies are initially aired through its broadcast facilities or regional
theaters in the Philippines. Simultaneous with, or after that original broadcast, Plaintiffs Filipinocentric content is then distributed throughout the world via customer-paid subscriptions, including
through numerous cable companies’ premium channels and telecom provider partnerships, such as
with DirecTV, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Comcast, AT&T, Verizon Services
Corp., Braintree Cable, Cablevision, CC Communications, Centurytel, Champion Broadband,
Charter, Duncan Cable TV, En-Touch, Frontier Communications, GCI Cable, Golden Rain
Foundation, Groton Utilities, Hawaiian Telecom, ICable, KPU CommVision, MCV, MTA
Communications, Norwood Light Dept., OpenBand Media, OSN, Phonoscope, Rainier Cable TV,
RCN, Rogers, San Bruno Cable, Service Electric, Shaw, Starhub, Summit Broadband, SureWest,
Tacoma Public Utilities, TVMax, Wave Broadband, Windjammer Cable, Zito Media, and many
more, including, in Oregon, Comcast and Wave Broadband.
26.
In addition, Plaintiffs’ content is distributed by Plaintiffs through Internet
subscription services, such as TFC.TV and IWANTV.COM.PH, as well as through their own 24hour cable and satellite service TFC (The Filipino Channel) and TFC IPTV, which offers PayPer-View programming. Most recently, on July 15, 2014, ABS-CBN launched its new TFC.TV
design. The redesigned portal is meant to provide its customers with improved navigation and
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easier access to the latest ABS-CBN shows and content. In addition, the roll out is meant to
effect changes in the Subscription Packages previously offered, including to implement a new
Premium subscription package, which includes over 160+ Entertainment shows, 50+ News
shows, 8+ Live shows, and 300+ Movies.
27.
ABS-CBN creates and distributes content serving Filipinos (aka “Pinoys”)
worldwide. This includes the populace of the Philippines, estimated at 92.3 million persons, as
well as the substantial overseas community, which is estimated at between 10.5 million and 13.5
million persons. See http://www.census.gov.ph/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Filipino.
Countries with significant resident Filipino populations overseas include: United States
(3,494,281 persons); Saudi Arabia (1,267,658); UAE (931,562); Canada (852,401); Malaysia
(686,547); Australia (391,705); Japan (243,136); United Kingdom (218,777); Kuwait (213,638);
Qatar (200,016); Hong Kong (195,128); Singapore (184,498); and Italy (172,148). Id.; see also
Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Stock Estimate of Overseas Filipinos (as of Dec. 2012)
(http://cfo.gov.ph/images/stories/pdf/2012_Stock_Estimate_of_Filipinos_Overseas.pdf).
28.
The United States hosts the largest population of Filipinos outside the Philippines.
Id. Filipinos are estimated by the U.S. State Department to be the second-largest AsianAmerican group in the country. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Filipino; U.S.
Department of State, U.S. Relations With the Philippines, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific
Affairs Fact Sheet (Jan. 31, 2014) (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2794.htm). In addition,
Tagalog is the fifth most spoken language in the U.S. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_Filipino.
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THE DEFENDANTS
29.
Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY is a resident of the State of Oregon. On
information and belief, Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY is the registrant, owner and/or operator of
the Subject Domain Names and associated websites.
30.
Defendant LENIE ASHBY is a resident of the State of Oregon. On information
and belief, Defendant LENIE ASHBY is the registrant, owner and/or operator of the Subject
Domain Names and associated websites.
31.
On information and belief, the Individual Defendants are doing business as and
through the Subject Domain Names.
32.
The Individual Defendants personally directed and participated in, exercised
control over, and benefited from the specific infringing and infringement-inducing conduct
described herein, which resulted in the massive infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrights and
trademarks. This includes, but is not limited to, operating the websites to profit from their
infringing activities; doing so in a way intended to frustrate enforcement efforts through the use
of false aliases; and by not implementing readily-available technologies and procedures to
mitigate the infringement.
33.
Defendants have the capacity to be sued pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil
Procedure 17(b). Defendants target their business activities, in part, towards consumers
throughout the United States, including within this District, through the operation of their fully
interactive commercial websites operating under the Subject Domain Names. Defendants are
directly and personally contributing to, inducing and engaging in trademark and copyright
infringement, without license or authorization.
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34.
ABS-CBN is presently unaware of the true names of Does 1-100 and will amend
this Complaint upon discovery of the identities of such fictitious Defendants.
35.
Defendants are the past and present conscious forces behind the operation of the
commercial Internet websites operating under the Subject Domain Names.
36.
Upon information and belief, Defendants will continue to register, transfer, or
acquire new domain names for the purpose of infringing Plaintiffs’ trademarks and copyrights
unless preliminarily and permanently enjoined.
37.
Defendants use and have registered, established or purchased and maintained the
Subject Domain Names and the websites operating thereunder. Upon information and belief,
Defendants have knowingly provided or knowingly caused to be provided materially false
contact information to a domain name registrar, domain name registry, or other domain name
registration authority in registering, maintaining, or renewing a domain name used in connection
with the infringement. Upon information and belief, Defendants have anonymously registered
and maintained the Subject Domain Names for the sole purpose of evading liability for their
illegal activities.
38.
Defendants’ business names (i.e., the Subject Domain Names and any other
domain names used in connection with infringing Plaintiffs’ trademarks and copyrights), are
essential components of Defendants’ infringing activities. The Subject Domain Names
themselves are a significant part of the means by which Defendants further their infringing
scheme and cause harm to ABS-CBN in that they cause and effect the infringement as described
below.
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FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
A.
Defendants’ Domains and Associated Websites.
39.
Defendants are infringing ABS-CBN’s trademarks and copyrights through their
copying, use, promotion, and/or performance of ABS-CBN’s TV shows and movie content.
40.
Defendants operate their websites that serve only one purpose – to function as
commercial online hubs for publicly providing performances of popular copyrighted content,
including many of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works, over the Internet to many thousands of users,
without authorization or license.
41.
On information and belief, Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY is personally and
directly responsible for copying and uploading ABS-CBN’s content to servers from which TV
and movie videos are performed through Defendants’ and many other pirate sites.
42.
In addition, Defendants infringe, and induce, cause and/or materially contribute to
the infringing activity of others, inter alia, by:
(i) advertising and promoting the presence and availability of ABS-CBN’s content
through
(a) the text on their websites, including stating the TV shows and movies
are “free,”
(b) through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks and specific identification of
shows and movies as ABS-CBN’s,
(c) through social media advertising, such as on Facebook and Twitter,
including links to the infringing sites,
(d) search engine optimization and meta tags, and
(e) through the names of the domains themselves;
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(ii) organizing ABS-CBN’s content by show title to provide ready access by
viewers to hundreds or thousands of ABS-CBN’s program episodes through
menus and folders;
(iii) inserting the links on their websites directing users where to view the content
and through which users can download the content;
(iv) transmitting and facilitating the transmission of the infringing content for
viewing by users of the websites;
(v) on a daily basis, updating their inventory of content, often within minutes or
hours of the broadcast in the Philippines, in order to tap into the known market for
pirate Filipino-centric content and constantly feed consumers’ desire for that
content; and,
(vi) by promoting and providing the content in order to drive more traffic to
Defendants’ websites and thereby increase the profits Defendants reap from
advertising and other revenue sources.
43.
Defendants infringe, and induce, cause and/or materially contribute to the
infringing activity of their users by promoting the presence and availability of Filipino content
and, specifically, ABS-CBN’s content, through their websites, social media, and through search
engine optimization and metatags. For example, the coding underlying the
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM site contains meta tags (aka “Keywords”), including
specifically identifying ABS-CBN, which are designed to boost the site’s relevance, and thus its
rank in search engines:
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44.
Defendants perform Plaintiffs’ works through their websites as part of a large
scale and ongoing illegal enterprise and/or effectuate and materially contribute to the
performance of Plaintiffs’ works by third parties. On information and belief, Defendants also
copy and/or distribute Plaintiffs’ works and/or effectuate and materially contribute to the copying
and/or distribution of Plaintiffs’ works by third parties.
45.
Because Defendants operate the infringing websites and broadcast the content,
they could stop the infringement at any point. In addition, Defendants also could easily
implement various readily available and effective technological solutions (including, without
limitation, automated filtering using digital fingerprinting-based content-identification
technology) to identify and prevent infringement of copyrighted content.
46.
However, Defendants do not implement means to prevent infringement because to
do so would defeat the very purpose for which the Subject Domain Names and associated
websites exist – i.e., to transmit copyrighted TV shows and movies associated with the
trademarks of the largest media company in the Philippines.
B.
The Individual Infringing Domains and Associated Websites.
Domain 1:
47.
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM
The WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM domain is registered through the registrar
Internet.bs. The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the
identity of the registrant is hidden.
48.
The domain was previously registered through the registrar GoDaddy until
July 25, 2014, when it was transferred to registrar Internet.bs following Plaintiffs’ notice that the
domain was infringing Plaintiffs’ rights.
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49.
This domain is linked to at least five of the other domains identified herein
because the html source code for the website located at WWW.WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM
shows the individual scripts provided by the ad networks operating on the site. Within the script
are links, images and unique tracking codes. These unique identifiers are provided to customers
to embed within the code of their site. The unique tracking code is used by the ad network to
attribute revenue to a particular customer. The account number of this site is associated with a
list of “approved URLs” for this account, including: WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM,
PINOYTALAGA.COM, WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM, PINOYTVEPISODES.NET, PINOYTVKO.COM, and PINOY-TUBE.COM.
50.
On information and belief, WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM and the other
Subject Domain Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants.
51.
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public,
including through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM uses the
ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic
to its websites and promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
52.
Further, WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or
Common Law Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed
on the websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
53.
The WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted
works, including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
54.
On information and belief, WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM is a “closed
website” meaning that it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On
information and belief, the content performed on the WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM website
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is provided by the website’s operators. On information and belief, the operators of
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM also insert the links provided on the website through which
users view Plaintiffs’ video content in a player window on the site. When a user clicks on the
link to one of Plaintiffs’ TV shows or movies, WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM then plays the
full-length version of the video.
55.
For example, the copyright registered episode of the ABS-CBN show “Be Careful
With My Heart” is available for viewing at: http://webpinoytambayan.com/2014/05/be-carefulwith-my-heart-15-may-2014.html. When a user clicks, the WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM
website begins to transmit the full episode for viewing.
56.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM is provided in order to attract users to the
infringing content. By advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and
encouraging, facilitating and assisting in the viewing of the TV shows and movies,
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM attracts an estimated 53,331 page views each day.
57.
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM provides full-length copies of daily
programming and archived shows – all available at the click of a button and often made available
within minutes or hours of the original broadcast. For example, within 41 minutes of the
August 3, 2014 episode of ABS-CBN’s “Be Careful With My Heart” airing in the Philippines,
the show was available for viewing at WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM.
58.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising
revenues and enables WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM to charge advertisers higher rates, and
reap significant profits from the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the
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wrongfully obtained consumer traffic increases the value of the Subject Domain Names
themselves, including WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM. In these ways, the websites’ business
model, including specifically that of WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM, critically depends on
attracting users to view Plaintiffs’ highly-valued copyrighted works.
59.
On information and belief, in order to drive traffic to the website,
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM advertises the website through social media such as Facebook
at: https://www.facebook.com/webpinoytambayan/info.
Domain 2:
60.
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM
The WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM domain is registered through the registrar
eNom. The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the
identity of the registrant is hidden. The domain utilizes CloudFlare, which is a proxy hosting
service that hides the identity of the website’s true host.
61.
The WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM domain was previously registered through the
registrar GoDaddy until June 13, 2014, when it was transferred following Plaintiffs’ notice to
GoDaddy that the domain was infringing Plaintiffs’ rights. The domain was falsely registered
with GoDaddy to “John Stephanopolis / 123 Main Street, Gary, IN” with the email address
“pezman077@hotmail.com.” The same registrant also falsely registered the domain
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM to “John Stephanopoulos / 123 Main Street, Gary, IN” using
a slightly different spelling, but the same fictitious address and, in this instance, with the email
address “pezman077@yahoo.com.” These patently bogus registrations are known to be false
because when Plaintiffs sent takedown notices pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act
(“DMCA”) to the company Namecheap, which was believed to be the host for these domains,
Namecheap revealed the registrant’s true identity as Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY, at the
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address 16989 SW 123rd Ave., Tigard, OR 97224, with the pezman077@hotmail.com email
address. On information and belief, Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY is the owner of the email
addresses used to falsely register these domains and his email address has been linked to other
domains at issue in this Complaint.
62.
Domains 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 are connected as stated in Paragraph 49 of this
Complaint.
63.
On information and belief, WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM and the other Subject
Domain Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants.
64.
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public, including
through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM uses the ABS-CBN
Marks and/or Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic to its
websites and promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
65.
Further, WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common
Law Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed on the
websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
66.
The WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,
including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
67.
On information and belief, WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM is a “closed website”
meaning that it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On information
and belief, the content performed on the WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM website is provided by the
website’s operators. On information and belief, the operators of WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM
also insert the links provided on the website through which users view Plaintiffs’ video content
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in a player window on the site. When a user clicks on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ TV shows or
movies, WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM then plays the full-length version of the video.
68.
For example, the copyright registered episode of the ABS-CBN show “Be Careful
With My Heart” is available for viewing at: http://watchfilipinotv.com/2014/05/be-careful-withmy-heart-may-15-2014/. When a user clicks, the WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM website begins to
transmit the full episode for viewing.
69.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM is provided in order to attract users to the infringing
content. By advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and encouraging,
facilitating and assisting in the viewing of the TV shows and movies,
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM attracts an estimated 9,031 page views each day.
70.
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM provides full-length copies of daily programming
and archived shows – all available at the click of a button and often made available within
minutes or hours of the original broadcast. For example, within 53 minutes of the August 3,
2014 episode of ABS-CBN’s “Be Careful With My Heart” airing in the Philippines, the show
was available for viewing at WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM.
71.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising
revenues and enables WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM to charge advertisers higher rates, and reap
significant profits from the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the wrongfully
obtained consumer traffic increases the value of the Subject Domain Names themselves,
including WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM. In these ways, the websites’ business model, including
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specifically that of WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM, critically depends on attracting users to view
Plaintiffs’ highly-valued copyrighted works.
72.
On information and belief, in order to drive traffic to the website,
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM advertises the website through social media such as Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/WatchFilipinoTVcom/ and Twitter at
https://twitter.com/WatchFilipinoTV.
Domain 3:
73.
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM
The WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM domain is registered through the registrar
eNom. The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the
identity of the registrant is hidden. The domain utilizes CloudFlare, which is a proxy hosting
service that hides the identity of the website’s true host.
74.
The WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM domain was previously registered through
the registrar GoDaddy until June 20, 2014, when it was transferred to registrar eNom following
Plaintiffs’ notice to GoDaddy that the domain was infringing Plaintiffs’ rights. The domain was
falsely registered by Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY as stated in Paragraph 61 of this Complaint.
75.
On information and belief, WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM and the other
Subject Domain Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants. In addition,
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM automatically redirects users when they click on TV show
content to Domain 2, Defendants’ WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM.
76.
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public,
including through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM uses the
ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic
to its websites and promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
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77.
Further, WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or
Common Law Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed
on the websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
78.
The WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted
works, including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
79.
On information and belief, WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM is a “closed website”
meaning that it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On information and
belief, the content performed on the WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM website is provided by the
website’s operators. On information and belief, the operators of WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM
also insert the links provided on the website through which users view Plaintiffs’ video content in a
player window on the site. When a user clicks on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ movies,
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM then plays the full-length version of the video.
80.
For example, the copyright registered ABS-CBN movie “Bakit Hindi ka Crush ng
Crush Mo” is available for viewing at: http://www.watchfilipinomovies.com/bakit-hindi-kacrush-ng-crush-mo/. When a user clicks, the WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM website begins
to transmit the full episode for viewing. In addition, when a user clicks on the “Pinoy TV
Shows” tab on WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM, the user is automatically redirected to the
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM site.
81.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM is provided in order to attract users to the
infringing content. By advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and
encouraging, facilitating and assisting in the viewing of the movies,
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM attracts an estimated 23,769 page views each day.
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82.
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM provides full-length copies of daily
programming and archived shows – all available at the click of a button and often made available
within minutes or hours of the original broadcast.
83.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising
revenues and enables WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM to charge advertisers higher rates, and
reap significant profits from the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the
wrongfully obtained consumer traffic increases the value of the Subject Domain Names
themselves, including WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM. In these ways, the websites’ business
model, including specifically that of WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM, critically depends on
attracting users to view Plaintiffs’ highly-valued copyrighted works.
84.
On information and belief, in order to drive traffic to the website,
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM advertises the website through social media such as
Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Watch-Filipino-Movies.
Domains 4 & 5:
85.
PINOY-TVKO.COM and PINOYTVKO.BIZ
The PINOY-TVKO.COM domain is registered through the registrar Internet.bs.
The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the identity of
the registrant is hidden.
86.
The domain was previously registered through the registrar NetEarth until July 7,
2014, when it was transferred to registrar Internet.bs following Plaintiffs’ notice to NetEarth that
the domain was infringing Plaintiffs’ rights.
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87.
The domain now redirects to PINOYTVKO.BIZ. When one goes to the PINOY-
TVKO.COM domain, their browser is automatically redirected to the PINOYTVKO.BIZ domain
and infringing website.
88.
PINOYTVKO.BIZ was registered through the registrar Internet.bs on July 6,
2014. The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the
identity of the registrant is hidden. The domain utilizes CloudFlare, which is a proxy hosting
service that hides the identity of the website’s true host.
89.
Domains 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 are connected as stated in Paragraph 49 of this
Complaint; Domain 4 (PINOY-TVKO.COM) redirects users, i.e., automatically sends all of its
traffic, to Domain 5 (PINOYTVKO.BIZ).
90.
On information and belief, PINOYTVKO.BIZ and the other Subject Domain
Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants.
91.
PINOYTVKO.BIZ advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public, including through
the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. PINOYTVKO.BIZ uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common
Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic to its websites and promote the
infringing video content viewed thereon.
92.
Further, PINOYTVKO.BIZ uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common Law
Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed on the
websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
93.
The PINOYTVKO.BIZ website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,
including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
94.
On information and belief, PINOYTVKO.BIZ is a “closed website” meaning that
it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On information and belief, the
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content performed on the PINOYTVKO.BIZ website is provided by the website’s operators. On
information and belief, the operators of PINOYTVKO.BIZ also insert the links provided on the
website through which users view Plaintiffs’ video content in a player window on the site. When
a user clicks on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ TV shows or movies, PINOYTVKO.BIZ then plays
the full-length version of the video.
95.
For example, the copyright registered episode of the ABS-CBN show “Kris TV”
is available for viewing at: http://www.pinoytvko.biz/2014/05/kris-tv-16-may-2014/. When a
user clicks, the PINOYTVKO.BIZ website begins to transmit the full episode for viewing.
96.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at PINOYTVKO.BIZ is provided in order to attract users to the infringing content. By
advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and encouraging, facilitating and
assisting in the viewing of the TV shows and movies, PINOYTVKO.BIZ attracts an estimated
663 page views each day.
97.
PINOYTVKO.BIZ provides full-length copies of daily programming and
archived shows – all available at the click of a button and often made available within minutes or
hours of the original broadcast. For example, within 41 minutes of the August 3, 2014 episode
of ABS-CBN’s “Be Careful With My Heart” airing in the Philippines, the show was available for
viewing at PINOYTVKO.BIZ.
98.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising revenues
and enables PINOYTVKO.BIZ to charge advertisers higher rates, and reap significant profits from
the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the wrongfully obtained consumer traffic
increases the value of the Subject Domain Names themselves, including PINOYTVKO.BIZ. In
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these ways, the websites’ business model, including specifically that of PINOYTVKO.BIZ,
critically depends on attracting users to view Plaintiffs’ highly-valued copyrighted works.
Domain 6:
99.
PINOY-TUBE.COM
The PINOY-TUBE.COM domain is registered through the registrar GoDaddy.
The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the identity of
the registrant is hidden. In addition, PINOY-TUBE.COM redirects users when they click on
video content to Domain 7, Defendants’ MYPINOYTUBETV.COM.
100.
Domains 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 are connected as stated in Paragraph 49 of this
Complaint.
101.
On information and belief, PINOY-TUBE.COM and the other Subject Domain
Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants.
102.
PINOY-TUBE.COM advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public, including through
the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. PINOY-TUBE.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or
Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic to its websites and
promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
103.
Further, PINOY-TUBE.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common Law
Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed on the
websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
104.
The PINOY-TUBE.COM website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,
including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
105.
On information and belief, PINOY-TUBE.COM is a “closed website” meaning
that it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On information and belief,
the content performed on the PINOY-TUBE.COM website is provided by the website’s
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operators. On information and belief, the operators of PINOY-TUBE.COM also insert the links
provided on the website through which users view Plaintiffs’ video content in a player window
on the site. When a user clicks on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ TV shows or movies, PINOYTUBE.COM then plays the full-length version of the video.
106.
For example, when a user clicks on the ABS-CBN copyright registered work
“Be Careful With My Heart” on PINOY-TUBE.COM, the video begins to play at:
http://www.mypinoytubetv.com/2014/05/be-careful-with-my-heart-15-may-2014/.
107.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at PINOY-TUBE.COM is provided in order to attract users to the infringing content.
By advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and encouraging, facilitating
and assisting in the viewing of the TV shows and movies, PINOY-TUBE.COM attracts an
unknown number of page views each day.
108.
PINOY-TUBE.COM provides full-length copies of daily programming and
archived shows – all available at the click of a button and often made available within minutes or
hours of the original broadcast. For example, within 33 minutes of the August 3, 2014 episode
of ABS-CBN’s “Be Careful With My Heart” airing in the Philippines, the show was available for
viewing at PINOY-TUBE.COM.
109.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising
revenues and enables PINOY-TUBE.COM to charge advertisers higher rates, and reap
significant profits from the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the wrongfully
obtained consumer traffic increases the value of the Subject Domain Names themselves,
including PINOY-TUBE.COM. In these ways, the websites’ business model, including
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specifically that of PINOY-TUBE.COM, critically depends on attracting users to view Plaintiffs’
highly-valued copyrighted works.
Domain 7:
110.
MYPINOYTUBETV.COM
The MYPINOYTUBETV.COM domain is registered through the registrar eNom.
The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the identity of
the registrant is hidden. The domain utilizes CloudFlare, which is a proxy hosting service that
hides the identity of the website’s true host.
111.
The MYPINOYTUBETV.COM links to WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM in its
source code.
112.
Domains 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 are connected as stated in Paragraph 49 of this
Complaint.
113.
On information and belief, MYPINOYTUBETV.COM and the other Subject
Domain Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants.
114.
MYPINOYTUBETV.COM advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public, including
through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. MYPINOYTUBETV.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks
and/or Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic to its websites and
promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
115.
Further, MYPINOYTUBETV.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common
Law Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed on the
websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
116.
The MYPINOYTUBETV.COM website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,
including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
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117.
On information and belief, MYPINOYTUBETV.COM is a “closed website”
meaning that it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On information
and belief, the content performed on the MYPINOYTUBETV.COM website is provided by the
website’s operators. On information and belief, the operators of MYPINOYTUBETV.COM also
insert the links provided on the website through which users view Plaintiffs’ video content in a
player window on the site. When a user clicks on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ TV shows or
movies, MYPINOYTUBETV.COM then plays the full-length version of the video.
118.
For example, the copyright registered episode of the ABS-CBN show “Be Careful
With My Heart,” is available for viewing at: http://www.mypinoytubetv.com/2014/05/becareful-with-my-heart-15-may-2014/. When a user clicks, the MYPINOYTUBETV.COM
website begins to transmit the full episode for viewing.
119.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at MYPINOYTUBETV.COM is provided in order to attract users to the infringing
content. By advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and encouraging,
facilitating and assisting in the viewing of the TV shows and movies,
MYPINOYTUBETV.COM attracts an estimated 2,418 page views each day.
120.
MYPINOYTUBETV.COM provides full-length copies of daily programming and
archived shows – all available at the click of a button and often made available within minutes or
hours of the original broadcast. For example, within 33 minutes of the August 3, 2014 episode
of ABS-CBN’s “Be Careful With My Heart” airing in the Philippines, the show was available for
viewing at MYPINOYTUBETV.COM.
121.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising
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revenues and enables MYPINOYTUBETV.COM to charge advertisers higher rates, and reap
significant profits from the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the wrongfully
obtained consumer traffic increases the value of the Subject Domain Names themselves,
including MYPINOYTUBETV.COM. In these ways, the websites’ business model, including
specifically that of MYPINOYTUBETV.COM, critically depends on attracting users to view
Plaintiffs’ highly-valued copyrighted works.
122.
On information and belief, in order to drive traffic to the website,
MYPINOYTUBETV.COM advertises the website through social media such as Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Watch-Pinoy-TV/.
Domain 8:
123.
PINOYTALAGA.COM
The PINOYTALAGA.COM domain is registered through the registrar eNom.
The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the identity of
the registrant is hidden.
124.
The domain was previously registered through the registrar GoDaddy until June
13, 2014, when it was transferred to eNom following Plaintiffs’ notice that the domain was
infringing Plaintiffs’ rights.
125.
Domains 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 are connected as stated in Paragraph 49 of this
Complaint.
126.
On information and belief, PINOYTALAGA.COM and the other Subject Domain
Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants.
127.
PINOYTALAGA.COM advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public, including
through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. PINOYTALAGA.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks
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and/or Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic to its websites and
promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
128.
Further, PINOYTALAGA.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common Law
Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed on the
websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
129.
The PINOYTALAGA.COM website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,
including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
130.
On information and belief, PINOYTALAGA.COM is a “closed website” meaning
that it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On information and belief,
the content performed on the PINOYTALAGA.COM website is provided by the website’s
operators. On information and belief, the operators of PINOYTALAGA.COM also insert the
links provided on the website through which users view Plaintiffs’ video content in a player
window on the site. When a user clicks on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ TV shows or movies,
PINOYTALAGA.COM then plays the full-length version of the video.
131.
For example, the copyright registered episode of the ABS-CBN show “Be Careful
With My Heart,” is available for viewing at: http://pinoytalaga.com/be-careful-with-my-heartmay-15-2014/. When a user clicks, the PINOYTALAGA.COM website begins to transmit the
full episode for viewing.
132.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at PINOYTALAGA.COM is provided in order to attract users to the infringing content.
By advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and encouraging, facilitating
and assisting in the viewing of the TV shows and movies, PINOYTALAGA.COM attracts an
estimated 3,753 page views each day.
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133.
PINOYTALAGA.COM provides full-length copies of daily programming and
archived shows – all available at the click of a button and often made available within minutes or
hours of the original broadcast. For example, within 90 minutes of the August 3, 2014 episode
of ABS-CBN’s “Be Careful With My Heart” airing in the Philippines, the show was available for
viewing at PINOYTALAGA.COM.
134.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising
revenues and enables PINOYTALAGA.COM to charge advertisers higher rates, and reap
significant profits from the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the wrongfully
obtained consumer traffic increases the value of the Subject Domain Names themselves,
including PINOYTALAGA.COM. In these ways, the websites’ business model, including
specifically that of PINOYTALAGA.COM, critically depends on attracting users to view
Plaintiffs’ highly-valued copyrighted works.
Domain 9:
135.
PINOYSTREAMING.COM
The PINOYSTREAMING.COM domain is registered through the registrar eNom.
The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the identity of
the registrant is hidden. The domain was registered in Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY’s name
prior to becoming a hidden proxy registration.
136.
On information and belief, PINOYSTREAMING.COM and the other Subject
Domain Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants. In addition,
PINOYSTREAMING.COM automatically redirects users when they click on movie content on
that site to Domain 3, Defendants’ WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM, and when users click on
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TV show content on PINOYSTREAMING.COM, they are automatically redirected to Domain 2,
Defendants’ WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM.
137.
PINOYSTREAMING.COM advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public, including
through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. PINOYSTREAMING.COM uses the ABS-CBN
Marks and/or Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic to its
websites and promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
138.
Further, PINOYSTREAMING.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common
Law Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed on the
websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
139.
The PINOYSTREAMING.COM website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,
including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
140.
On information and belief, PINOYSTREAMING.COM is a “closed website”
meaning that it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On information
and belief, the content performed on the PINOYSTREAMING.COM website is provided by the
website’s operators. On information and belief, the operators of PINOYSTREAMING.COM
also insert the links provided on the website through which users view Plaintiffs’ video content
in a player window on the site. When a user clicks on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ TV shows or
movies, PINOYSTREAMING.COM then plays the full-length version of the video.
141.
For example, when a user clicks on the ABS-CBN copyright registered work
“She’s The One” on PINOYSTREAMING.COM, the video begins to play at:
http://www.watchfilipinomovies.com/shes-the-one/#.U-ESBeOSyYE. When a user clicks on the
“Pinoy TV Shows” tab on PINOYSTREAMING.COM, the user is automatically redirected to
the WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM site.
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142.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at PINOYSTREAMING.COM is provided in order to attract users to the infringing
content. By advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and encouraging,
facilitating and assisting in the viewing of the TV shows and movies,
PINOYSTREAMING.COM attracts an unknown number of page views each day.
143.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising
revenues and enables PINOYSTREAMING.COM to charge advertisers higher rates, and reap
significant profits from the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the wrongfully
obtained consumer traffic increases the value of the Subject Domain Names themselves,
including PINOYSTREAMING.COM. In these ways, the websites’ business model, including
specifically that of PINOYSTREAMING.COM, critically depends on attracting users to view
Plaintiffs’ highly-valued copyrighted works.
144.
On information and belief, in order to drive traffic to the website,
PINOYSTREAMING.COM advertises the website through social media, including through
Facebook at the same page through which Defendants also advertise
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM, the website to which PINOYSTREAMING.COM redirects,
at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Watch-Filipino-Movies/.
Domain 10:
145.
PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM
The PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM domain is registered through the registrar
GoDaddy. The domain is registered to “Lenie Ashby / 16989 SW 123RD AVE / APT 5 /
Portland / Oregon / 97224” with the email address “admin@sweetdreamspatterns.com.”
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On information and belief, this is Defendant LENIE ASHBY and LENIE ASHBY is the owner
of the associated email address.
146.
On information and belief, PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM and the other Subject
Domain Names are all registered, owned and/or operated by Defendants.
147.
PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM advertises Plaintiffs’ works to the public, including
through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks. PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks
and/or Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic to its websites and
promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
148.
Further, PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM uses the ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common
Law Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the infringing video content viewed on the
websites is authorized, genuine content approved, endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
149.
The PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM website performs Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works,
including, on information and belief, registered and unregistered works.
150.
On information and belief, PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM is a “closed website”
meaning that it does not allow users to make additions or changes to the site. On information
and belief, the content performed on the PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM website is provided by the
website’s operators. On information and belief, the operators of PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM also
insert the links provided on the website through which users view Plaintiffs’ video content in a
player window on the site. When a user clicks on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ movies,
PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM then plays the full-length version of the video.
151.
For example, ABS-CBN’s movie “Maybe This Time” is available for viewing at:
http://www.pinoymoviefan.com/maybe-this-time/. When a user clicks, the
PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM website begins to transmit the full movie for viewing.
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152.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM is provided in order to attract users to the infringing
content. By advertising, promoting and performing the copyrighted works, and encouraging,
facilitating and assisting in the viewing of the movies, PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM attracts an
unknown number of page views each day.
153.
On information and belief, the infringement-driven traffic increases the volume of
online advertising impressions and transactions, and thereby increases online advertising
revenues and enables PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM to charge advertisers higher rates, and reap
significant profits from the advertising services operating on the site. Moreover, the wrongfully
obtained consumer traffic increases the value of the Subject Domain Names themselves,
including PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM. In these ways, the websites’ business model, including
specifically that of PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM, critically depends on attracting users to view
Plaintiffs’ highly-valued copyrighted works.
Domains 11 & 12:
154.
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO
The PINOYTVEPISODES.NET domain is registered through the registrar
GoDaddy. The domain is registered through a proxy/privacy registration service, such that the
identity of the registrant is hidden. The domain utilizes CloudFlare, which is a proxy hosting
service that hides the identity of the website’s true host. The PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO
domain is registered through the registrar GoDaddy. The domain is registered through a
proxy/privacy registration service, such that the identity of the registrant is hidden.
155.
Domains 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 11 are connected as stated in Paragraph 49 of this
Complaint; Domain 11 (PINOYTVEPISODES.NET) infringed Plaintiffs’ trademarks and
copyrights as stated below, and later redirected users, i.e., automatically sent all of its traffic, to
Page 34 - COMPLAINT
Domain 12 (PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO), which itself infringed Plaintiffs’ trademarks and
copyrights as stated below.
156.
On information and belief, PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and
PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO and the other Subject Domain Names are all registered, owned
and/or operated by Defendants.
157.
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO advertised
Plaintiffs’ works to the public, including through the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks.
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO used the ABS-CBN Marks and/or
Common Law Mark, without authorization, to attract consumer traffic to their websites and
promote the infringing video content viewed thereon.
158.
Further, PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO used the
ABS-CBN Marks and/or Common Law Mark, without authorization, to falsely suggest the
infringing video content viewed on the websites was authorized, genuine content approved,
endorsed, and sponsored by the Plaintiffs.
159.
The PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO websites
performed many of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works including, on information and belief, registered
and unregistered works.
160.
On information and belief, PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and
PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO were “closed websites” meaning that they did not allow users to make
additions or changes to the site. On information and belief, the content performed on the
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO websites was provided by the
websites’ operators. On information and belief, the operators of PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and
PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO also inserted the links provided on the websites through which users
Page 35 - COMPLAINT
viewed Plaintiffs’ video content in a player window on the sites. On information and belief, when a
user clicked on the link to one of Plaintiffs’ TV shows or movies, PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and
PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO then played the full-length version of the video.
161.
On information and belief, the large inventory of popular entertainment content
available at PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO was provided in order
to attract users to the infringing content. By advertising, promoting and performing the
copyrighted works, and encouraging, facilitating and assisting in the viewing of the TV shows
and movies, PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO attracted viewers and
the infringement-driven traffic increased the volume of online advertising impressions and
transactions, and thereby increased online advertising revenues, and enabled
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO to charge advertisers higher rates,
and reap significant profits from the advertising services that operated on the sites. Moreover,
the wrongfully obtained consumer traffic increased the value of the Subject Domain Names
themselves, including PINOYTVEPISODES.NET and PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO. In these
ways, the websites’ business model critically depended on attracting users to view Plaintiffs’
highly-valued copyrighted works.
C.
Efforts to Stop Defendants’ Infringement Have Been Futile.
162.
To date, Plaintiffs’ efforts to stop Defendants’ infringement by contacting the
hosting companies, service providers and/or registrars for the Defendants have proven futile.
DMCA notices were sent to the hosts for domains where the host could be identified. However,
DMCA notices are very limited in their effect, targeting only specific content, which can then be
changed and replaced with other infringing content, if the notice is even complied with. Therefore,
Plaintiffs also sent notices to the domain registrars. These notices stated that the registrar is to
Page 36 - COMPLAINT
cancel or transfer the domain because, in each instance, the registrar’s terms of service and/or
registration agreement expressly provides that violation of applicable law, such as by trademark and
copyright infringement, is a violation of the registrant’s agreement subject to cancellation and/or
transfer of the domains. Further, the notices to the registrars set forth the relevant requirements of
the registrar’s own binding policies, and of ICANN policies, as well a detailed listing of the
domains, the works being infringed, the URL to the infringement for each site:
Domain
Number
Domain Name
Host Notice/Response
Registrar
Notice/Response
6-02-14 DMCA to
5-19-14 DMCA to
Highvelocity; no action Internet.bs; no action
taken
taken
1
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM
6-06-14 DMCA to
6-17-14 notice of
Nforce; no action taken breach of registrar
terms of
6-16-14 DMCA to
AltusHost; no response use/registration
agreement terms to
GoDaddy; no action
taken
5-30-14 DMCA to
GoDaddy; no action
taken
2
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM
Page 37 - COMPLAINT
5-12-14 DMCA to
GoDaddy; no action
taken
6-06-14 DMCA to
6-17-14 notice of
Namecheap; no action breach of registrar
taken
terms of
use/registration
6-30-14 DMCA to
AltusHost; no response agreement terms to
GoDaddy; no action
taken
Domain
Number
Domain Name
Host Notice/Response
6-04-14 DMCA to
GoDaddy; no action
taken
6-02-14 DMCA to
CloudFlare; no action
taken
3
Registrar
Notice/Response
5-12-14 DMCA to
GoDaddy; GoDaddy
suspends site, but site
back up the next day
5-16-14 GoDaddy
advises that site
moved back to
6-09-14 DMCA to
AltusHost; no response GoDaddy after being
moved to another
7-01-14 DMCA to
provider; GoDaddy
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM AltusHost; no response
suspends site, but site
active again within a
few days
6-17-14 notice of
breach of registrar
terms of
use/registration
agreement terms to
GoDaddy; no action
taken
4
PINOY-TVKO.COM
6-03-14 DMCA to
7-03-14 notice of
SoftLayer; no response breach of registrar
terms of
use/registration
agreement terms to
NetEarth One; no
action taken
5
PINOYTVKO.BIZ
Newly identified
Newly identified
domain also associated domain also associated
with Defendants
with Defendants
6
PINOY-TUBE.COM
Newly identified
Newly identified
domain also associated domain also associated
with Defendants
with Defendants
7
MYPINOYTUBETV.COM
Page 38 - COMPLAINT
6-13-14 DMCA to
CloudFlare; no action
taken
6-30-14 notice of
breach of registrar
terms of
use/registration
6-17-14 DMCA to
Sentris; no action taken agreement terms to
eNom; no action taken
Domain
Number
Domain Name
Host Notice/Response
5-30-14 DMCA to
GoDaddy; no action
taken
8
PINOYTALAGA.COM
Registrar
Notice/Response
5-12-14 DMCA to
GoDaddy; no action
taken
6-02-14 DMCA to
6-17-14 notice of
AltusHost; no response breach of registrar
6-19-14 follow-up letter terms of
use/registration
to AltusHost; no
agreement terms to
response
GoDaddy; no action
taken
PINOYSTREAMING.COM
Newly identified
Newly identified
domain also associated domain also associated
with Defendants
with Defendants
10
PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM
Newly identified
Newly identified
domain also associated domain also associated
with Defendants
with Defendants
11
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET
Newly identified
Newly identified
domain also associated domain also associated
with Defendants
with Defendants
PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO
Newly identified
Newly identified
domain also associated domain also associated
with Defendants
with Defendants
9
12
163.
All too frequently, this is the game to which rights holders are subjected by
service providers in the Internet industry, such as the hosts and registrars, who attempt to avoid
taking any action, even upon multiple, explicit notices of infringement. Worse, attempts to halt
the infringement, such as those by Plaintiffs, are met with complete and utter disregard and
contempt by pirates such as Defendants, who with impunity and without restriction, move to
other registrars and hosts, as with several of the Subject Domain Names, and re-launch their
infringing content. For these reasons, Plaintiffs have no recourse but to apply to this Court for
relief, including injunctive relief to prevent Defendants from further infringing Plaintiffs’ works
through their current domains, as well through future domains.
Page 39 - COMPLAINT
CLAIMS FOR RELIEF
Count One -- Trademark Counterfeiting and Infringement
(Against All Defendants)
164.
Plaintiffs repeat and re-allege every allegation contained in paragraphs 1 through
163 as though fully set forth herein.
165.
This is an action for trademark counterfeiting and infringement against
Defendants based on their use of counterfeits, copies and/or colorable imitations of the ABSCBN Marks on their websites, which facilitates consumers’ access to infringements of Plaintiffs’
copyrighted materials (the “pirated content”).
166.
Specifically, Defendants are continually promoting and otherwise advertising
their illegal broadcast distribution facilitation service using the ABS-CBN Marks, without
authorization.
167.
Defendants’ counterfeiting and infringing use of the ABS-CBN Marks is likely to
cause and actually is causing confusion, mistake, and deception among members of the general
public as to the origin and quality of the pirated content as well as the legitimacy of Defendants’
illegal broadcast distribution facilitation service.
168.
Defendants’ unlawful actions have caused and are continuing to cause
unquantifiable damages to Plaintiffs and are unjustly enriching Defendants at Plaintiffs’ expense.
169.
Defendants’ above-described illegal actions constitute counterfeiting and
infringement of the ABS-CBN Marks in violation of Plaintiffs’ rights under Section 32 of the
Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1114.
170.
Plaintiffs have suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable injury due to
Defendants’ above described activities if Defendants are not temporarily, preliminarily and
permanently enjoined.
Page 40 - COMPLAINT
Count Two -- False Designation of Origin Pursuant to § 43(a) of the Lanham Act
(Against All Defendants)
171.
Plaintiffs repeat and re-allege every allegation contained in paragraphs 1 through
170 as though fully set forth herein.
172.
Defendants’ advertisement and promotion of their illegal distribution facilitation
service for the pirated content is being conducted using exact copies of the ABS-CBN Marks and
is widely advertised and promoted throughout the United States, including within many of
Plaintiffs’ important business markets such as the state of Oregon.
173.
Defendants are using the ABS-CBN Marks to advertise and promote their illegal
distribution facilitation service for the pirated content in violation of Plaintiffs’ intellectual
property rights, and to intentionally confuse consumers into believing the pirated content and
broadcast distribution facilitation service are sponsored and endorsed by Plaintiffs. Defendants’
unauthorized use of the ABS-CBN Marks is designed to falsely suggest that their activities are
sponsored and/or endorsed by Plaintiffs. Defendants’ unlawful use of the ABS-CBN Marks is
designed to make Defendants’ service appear legitimate in order to attract a larger number of
viewers which results in larger advertising revenues for the Defendants.
174.
Defendants, upon information and belief, have used in connection with their
advertisement and promotion of their illegal broadcast distribution facilitation service, false
designations of origin and false descriptions and representations, including words or symbols
which tend to falsely describe or represent such distribution services and have facilitated access
to the general viewing public with full knowledge of the falsity of such designations of origin
and such descriptions and representations, all to Plaintiffs’ detriment.
175.
Defendants have authorized infringing uses of the ABS-CBN Marks in the
advertisement and promotion of Defendants’ illegal broadcast distribution facilitation service for
Page 41 - COMPLAINT
pirated content. Defendants have misrepresented to members of the consuming public that the
pirated content to which Defendants are facilitating access is genuine and authorized content of
Plaintiffs, and that Defendants broadcast distribution facilitation service for such content is
sponsored and/or endorsed by Plaintiffs.
176.
Additionally, Defendants are using counterfeits and infringements of the ABS-
CBN Marks in order to unfairly compete with Plaintiffs and others for space within search
engine organic results, thereby depriving Plaintiffs of a valuable marketing tool which would
otherwise be available to Plaintiffs and reducing the visibility of Plaintiffs’ legitimate, genuine
content on the World Wide Web.
177.
Defendants’ above-described actions are in violation of Section 43(a) of the
Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a).
178.
Plaintiffs have no adequate remedy at law, and have sustained injury and damages
caused by Defendants’ conduct. Absent an entry of an injunction by this Court, Plaintiffs will
continue to suffer irreparable injury to their goodwill and business reputation, as well as
monetary damages.
Count Three -- Common Law Unfair Competition
(Against All Defendants)
179.
Plaintiffs repeat and re-allege every allegation contained in paragraphs 1 through
178 as though fully set forth herein.
180.
This is an action against Defendants based on their (i) promotion, advertisement,
distribution, and facilitation of access to the pirated content using marks which are identical, both
visually and phonetically, to the ABS-CBN Marks, and (ii) creation and maintenance of an illegal
ongoing forum in which viewers may access public performances of and copy the pirated content,
Page 42 - COMPLAINT
operating parallel to Plaintiffs’ own Internet pay subscription service through which Plaintiffs
promote their genuine content, in violation of Oregon’s common law of unfair competition.
181.
Specifically, and as described above, Defendants are promoting, advertising and
otherwise facilitating access to and copying of the pirated content using Plaintiffs’ ABS-CBN
Marks for the purpose of creating a veneer of legitimacy for Defendants’ operation. Also, for the
purpose of earning a profit at the Plaintiffs’ expense, Defendants are using counterfeits and
infringements of the ABS-CBN Marks to unfairly compete with Plaintiffs and others for (i) space in
search engine results across an array of search terms, and (ii) visibility on the World Wide Web.
182.
Plaintiffs are suffering damages and irreparable injury as a result of the
Defendants’ wrongful actions.
Count Four -- Direct Infringement of Copyright
(Against All Defendants)
183.
Plaintiffs repeat and reallege every allegation contained in paragraphs 1 through
182 as if fully set forth herein.
184.
Plaintiffs have registered and own or control the copyrights and/or exclusive
rights under copyright in connection with TV shows and movies, including but not limited to the
works identified in Exhibit 1. In addition, Plaintiffs are the owners of unregistered copyrights in
numerous TV shows and movies first aired in the Philippines and made available and infringed
by Defendants.
185.
Defendants perform Plaintiffs’ works through their websites as part of a large
scale and ongoing illegal enterprise and/or effectuate and materially contribute to the
performance of Plaintiffs’ works by third parties.
186.
Further, on information and belief, Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY is personally
and directly responsible for copying and uploading ABS-CBN’s content to servers and
Page 43 - COMPLAINT
performing, copying and distributing those works, in collaboration with Defendant LENIE
ASHBY, through Defendants’ and other pirate websites.
187.
On information and belief, Defendants also copy and/or distribute Plaintiffs’
works and/or effectuate and materially contribute to the copying and/or distribution of Plaintiffs’
works by third parties.
188.
Without authorization from any Plaintiff, or right under law, Defendants are
directly liable for infringing Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works pursuant to 17 U.S.C. §§ 106(1), (3)
and/or (4).
189.
Defendants have actual and constructive knowledge, or should have knowledge,
of their infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works for at least the reasons that:
(i) Defendants insert and provide links to, organize by show title, and perform the
infringing content, and do so for the purpose of users’ viewing;
(ii) Defendants advertise and promote the content, including through the use of
Plaintiffs’ marks, on the websites, through social media, through search engine
optimization and meta tags, and through the domain names themselves;
(iii) As the largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines,
Plaintiffs’ content is highly popular in Filipino communities and Defendants
profit as a direct result of broadcasting that content; and,
(iv) Because Defendants used false registration aliases and as a result of the
multiple notices of infringement sent to Defendants’ service providers as shown
above, which caused Defendants multiple times to move Subject Domain Names
in an effort to evade enforcement attempts.
Page 44 - COMPLAINT
190.
The foregoing acts of infringement have been willful, intentional, and purposeful,
in disregard of and indifferent to Plaintiffs’ rights.
191.
As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ infringement of Plaintiffs’
exclusive rights, Plaintiffs are entitled to damages as well as Defendants’ profits pursuant to
17 U.S.C. § 504(b).
192.
Alternatively, Plaintiffs are entitled to the maximum statutory damages, in the
amount of $150,000 per infringement, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 504(c), or such other amount as
may be proper pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 504(c).
193.
Plaintiffs further are entitled to their attorneys’ fees and full costs pursuant to
17 U.S.C. § 505.
194.
In addition, because of the ongoing infringement of numerous of Plaintiffs’ works
and because the significant threat of future infringement as evidenced herein, injunctive relief
against Defendants is necessary to stop the infringement through the Subject Domain Names, as
well as through other domains owned now or in the future by the Defendants.
Count Five -- Secondary Infringement of Copyright
(Against All Defendants)
195.
Plaintiffs repeat and reallege every allegation contained in paragraphs 1 through
194 as if fully set forth herein.
196.
Defendants perform Plaintiffs’ works through their websites as part of a large
scale and ongoing illegal enterprise and/or effectuate and materially contribute to the
performance of Plaintiffs’ works by third parties.
197.
Further, on information and belief, Defendant JEFFREY ASHBY is personally
and directly responsible for copying and uploading ABS-CBN’s content to servers and
performing, copying and distributing those works, in collaboration with Defendant LENIE
Page 45 - COMPLAINT
ASHBY, through Defendants’ and other pirate websites and thus inducing, encouraging, and/or
materially contributing to other infringers.
198.
On information and belief, Defendants also copy and/or distribute Plaintiffs’
works and/or effectuate and materially contribute to the copying and/or distribution of Plaintiffs’
works by third parties.
199.
Without authorization from any Plaintiff, or right under law, Defendants are
directly liable for third-parties’ infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works pursuant to
17 U.S.C. §§ 106(1), (3) and/or (4).
200.
Defendants have actual and constructive knowledge, or should have knowledge,
of their infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted works for at least the reasons that:
(i) Defendants insert and provide links to, organize by show title, and perform the
infringing content, and do so for the purpose of users’ viewing;
(ii) Defendants advertise and promote the content, including through the use of
Plaintiffs’ marks, on the websites, through social media, through search engine
optimization and meta tags, and through the domain names themselves;
(iii) As the largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines,
Plaintiffs’ content is highly popular in Filipino communities and Defendants
profit as a direct result of broadcasting that content; and,
(iv) Because Defendants used false registration aliases and as a result of the
multiple notices of infringement sent to Defendants’ service providers as shown
above, which caused Defendants multiple times to move Subject Domain Names
in an effort to evade enforcement attempts.
Page 46 - COMPLAINT
201.
Defendants infringe, and induce, cause and/or materially contribute to the
infringing activity of others, inter alia, by:
(i) advertising and promoting the presence and availability of ABS-CBN’s content
through
(a) the text on their websites, including stating the TV shows and movies
are “free”,
(b) the use of Plaintiffs’ trademarks and specific identification of shows
and movies as ABS-CBN’s,
(c) social media advertising, such as on Facebook and Twitter, including
links to the infringing sites,
(d) search engine optimization and meta tags, and
(e) the names of the domains themselves;
(ii) organizing ABS-CBN’s content by show title to provide ready access by
viewers to hundreds or thousands of ABS-CBN’s program episodes through
menus and folders;
(iii) inserting the links on their websites directing users where to view the content
and through which users can download the content;
(iv) transmitting and facilitating the transmission of the infringing content for
viewing by users of the websites;
(v) on a daily basis, updating their inventory of content, often within minutes or
hours of the broadcast in the Philippines, in order to tap into the known market for
pirate Filipino-centric content and constantly feed the consumers’ desire for that
content; and,
Page 47 - COMPLAINT
(vi) promoting and providing the content, Defendants drive more traffic to their
site and increase the profits they reap from advertising and other revenue.
202.
Defendants have the right and the ability to supervise and control their websites
and others’ infringing activity as set forth above. Because Defendants operate the infringing
websites and broadcast the content, they could stop the infringement at any point. In addition,
Defendants also could easily implement various readily available and effective technological
solutions (including, without limitation, automated filtering using digital fingerprinting-based
content-identification technology) to identify and prevent infringement of copyrighted content.
203.
Defendants derive a financial benefit directly attributable to their users’
infringement of Plaintiffs’ copyrights. Popular, copyrighted works act as a draw that attracts
users and advertising to the Subject Domain Names and associated websites, resulting in
revenues from ad impressions tied to page views, and other sources.
204.
Defendants have taken affirmative steps to foster infringement by providing the
website and performing the content, viewed through video player embedded on their websites,
with the object of promoting the illegal viewing of Plaintiffs’ copyrighted TV shows and movies;
by providing detailed programming directories, with the look and feel of television guides; by
presenting the TV shows and movies in association with ABS-CBN’s trademarks and by
including images of the title pages of the shows; and by promoting the websites and their pirated
content through the websites themselves, search engine optimization, and social media, such as
Facebook.
205.
Defendants do not merely respond to user requests in a passive, content-neutral,
and automated manner. To the contrary, as set forth above, Defendants control the selection and
provision of the content and are the sole causes making that content broadly available and
Page 48 - COMPLAINT
accessible to the public. Without the active and material contributions from Defendants, the
massive infringement complained of herein could not have taken place.
206.
Defendants target the known demand for pirated versions of Plaintiffs’ content in
this District and throughout the world.
207.
Defendants are the direct and proximate causes of the harm to Plaintiffs alleged
208.
The foregoing acts of infringement by Defendants have been willful, intentional,
herein.
and purposeful, in disregard of and indifferent to Plaintiffs’ rights.
209.
As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ and their users’ infringement of
Plaintiffs’ exclusive rights, Plaintiffs are entitled to damages as well as Defendants’ profits
pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 504(b).
210.
Alternatively, Plaintiffs are entitled to the maximum statutory damages from
Defendants, in the amount of $150,000 per infringement, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 504(c), or such
other amount as may be proper pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 504(c).
211.
Plaintiffs further are entitled to recover their attorneys’ fees and full costs
pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 505.
212.
In addition, because of Defendants’ ongoing infringement of numerous of
Plaintiffs’ works and because the significant threat of future infringement as evidenced herein,
injunctive relief against Defendants is necessary to stop the infringement through the Subject
Domain Names, as well as through other domains owned now or in the future by the Defendants.
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs pray for judgment against Defendants as follows:
A.
Entry of temporary, preliminary, and permanent injunctions pursuant to 15 U.S.C.
§ 1116, 17 U.S.C. § 502(a), and Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65 enjoining Defendants, their
Page 49 - COMPLAINT
agents, representatives, servants, employees, and all those acting in concert or participation
therewith, including Internet search engines, Web hosts, domain-name registrars, and domain
name registries or their administrators, from:
(1)
advertising, promoting, performing, copying, broadcasting, performing,
distributing and/or infringing in any manner ABS-CBN’s copyrighted
works and/or content that currently exists or which exists in the future;
(2)
infringing, counterfeiting, or diluting the ABS-CBN Marks, or any mark
similar thereto, in connection with the advertisement, promotion, or
distribution of pirated content;
(3)
using any logo, trade name or trademark or trade dress that may be
calculated to falsely advertise the pirated content of Defendants as being
sponsored by, authorized by, endorsed by, or in any way associated with
Plaintiffs;
(4)
falsely representing themselves as being connected with Plaintiffs, through
sponsorship or association, or engaging in any act that is likely to falsely
cause members of the public to believe any pirated content or services of
Defendants are in any way endorsed by, approved by, and/or associated
with Plaintiffs;
(5)
using any reproduction, counterfeit, infringement, copy or colorable
imitation of the ABS-CBN Marks in connection with the publicity,
promotion, advertising, or distribution of any pirated content by
Defendants;
Page 50 - COMPLAINT
(6)
affixing, applying, annexing or using in connection with the promotion,
distribution, or advertisement of any pirated content, a false description or
representation, including words or other symbols tending to falsely
describe or represent Defendants’ pirated content as being connected with
Plaintiffs, or in any way endorsed by Plaintiffs;
(7)
engaging in search engine optimization strategies using colorable
imitations of the ABS-CBN name or trademarks; and
(8)
B.
otherwise unfairly competing with Plaintiffs.
Entry of temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctions pursuant to 28 U.S.C
§ 1651(a), The All Writs Act, enjoining Defendants and all third parties from creating,
maintaining, operating, joining, participating in, including providing financial, technical or other
support to, the World Wide Web based illegal marketplace used to copy, distribute, perform,
advertise, or promote pirated content bearing counterfeits or infringements of the ABS-CBN
Marks.
C.
Entry of an order pursuant to 28 U.S.C § 1651(a), The All Writs Act, that, upon
Plaintiffs’ request, those in privity with Defendants and those with notice of the injunction,
including any Internet search engines, Web hosts, domain-name registrars, and domain name
registries or their administrators that are provided with notice of the injunction, cease facilitating
access to any or all domain names and websites through which Defendants engage in the
(i) copying, distribution, performance, promotion or other infringement through pirated content
or (ii) any uses the ABS-CBN Marks.
D.
Entry of an order that, upon Plaintiffs’ request, the top level domain (TLD)
Registry(ies) for the Subject Domain Names or their administrators place the Subject Domain
Page 51 - COMPLAINT
Names on Registry Hold status for the remainder of the registration period for any such domain
names, thus removing them from the TLD zone files maintained by the Registries or its
administrators which link the Subject Domain Names to the IP addresses where the associated
websites are hosted.
E.
Entry of an order canceling or deleting, or, at Plaintiffs’ election, transferring the
Subject Domain Names and any other domain names used by Defendants to engage in their
infringing activities at issue to Plaintiffs’ control so that they may no longer be used for illegal
purposes.
G.
Entry of an order requiring Defendants, jointly and severally, to account to and
pay Plaintiffs for all profits and damages resulting from Defendants’ trademark counterfeiting
and infringing activities and that the award to Plaintiffs be trebled, as provided for under 15
U.S.C. § 1117, or, at Plaintiffs’ election with respect to Count I, that Plaintiffs be awarded
statutory damages from each Defendant in the amount of two million dollars ($2,000,000.00) per
each counterfeit trademark used, as provided by 15 U.S.C. § 1117(c)(2) of the Lanham Act.
H.
Entry of an order requiring:
(1)
that Defendants, jointly and severally pay Plaintiffs for all damages
sustained by Plaintiffs in consequence of Defendants’ copyright
infringement together with appropriate interest thereon;
(2)
that Defendants account to Plaintiffs for, and disgorge to Plaintiffs, and to
pay to Plaintiffs, all the gains, profits, savings and advantages realized by
Defendants from their acts of copyright infringement descried above;
(3)
that Plaintiffs be awarded, at their election, statutory damages within the
provisions of 17 U.S.C. § 504(c), enhanced to reflect the willful nature of
Page 52 - COMPLAINT
Defendants’ infringement, instead of an award of actual damages or
profits; and
(4)
that Plaintiffs be awarded their costs and disbursements incurred in this
action, including reasonable attorneys’ fees pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 505.
I.
Entry of an order requiring Defendants, jointly and severally, to pay Plaintiffs’
attorneys’ fees, and full costs and disbursements in this action.
J.
Entry of an order requiring all funds, up to and including the total amount of
judgment, in payment accounts or advertising revenue accounts used in connection with the
Subject Domain Names, and any other accounts, to be surrendered to Plaintiffs’ in partial
satisfaction of the monetary judgment entered herein.
K.
Entry of an order requiring Defendants to pay prejudgment interest according to
L.
Entry of an order for such other and further relief as the Court may deem proper
law.
and just.
DEMAND FOR A JURY TRIAL
In accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 38, Plaintiffs demand a trial by jury on all issues so
triable.
DATED this 7th day of August, 2014.
MARKOWITZ, HERBOLD, GLADE
& MEHLHAF, P.C.
By:
newmal6\398640
Page 53 - COMPLAINT
/s/ Matthew A. Levin
Matthew A. Levin, OSB #003054
(503) 295-3085
Of Attorneys for Plaintiffs
SCHEDULE A
SUBJECT DOMAIN NAMES
Domain Number
Domain Name
1
WEBPINOYTAMBAYAN.COM
2
WATCHFILIPINOTV.COM
3
WATCHFILIPINOMOVIES.COM
4
PINOY-TVKO.COM
5
PINOYTVKO.BIZ
6
PINOY-TUBE.COM
7
MYPINOYTUBETV.COM
8
PINOYTALAGA.COM
9
PINOYSTREAMING.COM
10
PINOYMOVIEFAN.COM
11
PINOYTVEPISODES.NET
12
PINOYTVEPISODES.INFO
Page 54 - COMPLAINT