Dish Network and its Sling TV division have filed a lawsuit against Fenix International Ltd., the U.K.-based parent company of OnlyFans.com, alleging patent infringement related to streaming technology. The complaint, lodged in a Utah federal district court, claims Fenix and its OFTV division have infringed on four patents covering adaptive bitrate streaming.

Patent Infringement Allegations

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, accuses Fenix International Ltd. and its OFTV division of infringing on U.S. Patent Nos. 11,991,234, 8,868,772, 11,677,798, and 11,470,138. According to court documents, these patents relate to streaming technology protocols that adjust video quality based on the speed and quality of a user's internet connection, whether via WiFi, cellular, or satellite. Dish and Sling TV are represented by attorneys from Hatch Law Group PC and Baker Botts LLP.

Attorneys for Dish stated in the complaint that the case concerns the infringement of Dish's patents related to streaming content to computing devices. The lawsuit alleges that Fenix and OFTV have infringed these patents and used Dish's technology to stream on adult-oriented websites operated or owned by foreign entities located in the United Kingdom. The complaint further argues that the defendants specifically curate web pages tailored to users’ locations, thereby deliberately directing their content at U.S. users. On information and belief, OnlyFans.com and OF.tv automatically detect a user's location in the United States, including at the state level using IP-based geolocation, and display content accordingly.

The lawsuit asserts that OFTV and OnlyFans provide "infringing technology to U.S. users" and that the court has a primary interest in protecting users in the United States from harm by these foreign companies. Dish has made similar claims in previous lawsuits against other adult industry platforms and mainstream IPTV applications.

Precedent and Related Litigation

This legal action follows similar lawsuits filed by Dish Network. Last month, Dish sued the parent company of adult video website Spankbang.com on comparable claims of patent violation. Dish and Sling TV accused Spankbang.com of using their patented adaptive bitrate streaming technology without authorization, alleging violations of federal patent laws. That lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, identified MBB Ventures LLC as the website operator infringing on the same four U.S. patents.

Dish has also been involved in legal disputes with Aylo Holdings, the parent company of Pornhub.com. One such lawsuit was litigated before the Unified Patent Court (UPC) for the European Union. Dish sued Aylo at the UPC for violating European Patent (EP) 2479680, which covers adaptive rate adjustments, the same technology protected by the four U.S. patents in the current OnlyFans lawsuit. As reported in June 2025, the UPC court ruled in favor of Aylo, finding that Dish Network failed to demonstrate that Aylo's streaming technology infringed its patent rights. The patent was invalidated in Germany, while other litigation proceeded.

Furthermore, WebGroup Czech Republic and NKL Associates, affiliated parent companies of adult tube sites XVideos and XNXX, have also been sued in Utah federal court on identical allegations. These legal challenges are not exclusively directed at companies within the adult entertainment industry. Dish has also sued the parent company of Fubo TV, a competitor to Sling TV, for similar patent infringement claims.

Ownership and Technology

Dish Network and Sling TV are owned by EchoStar, a communications and internet company based in Englewood, Colorado. The patents in question were acquired by DISH in 2010 for $45 million when it purchased MOVE Networks, the original developer of the technology.

Key Facts

  • Dish Network and Sling TV have sued Fenix International Ltd., the parent company of OnlyFans.com.
  • The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah.
  • Allegations include infringement of four U.S. patents related to adaptive bitrate streaming technology.
  • The patents are U.S. Patent Nos. 11,991,234, 8,868,772, 11,677,798, and 11,470,138.
  • Dish claims the technology automatically adjusts video quality based on internet connection speed.
  • Similar lawsuits have been filed against other adult video websites and competitors.