Houston-based InMotion Imagery Technologies has been filing lawsuits left and right against porn companies.
The cases center on an alleged patent infringement involving a video-indexing process that uses thumbnail images during DVD navigation.
DVDs typically use introduction thumbnail video teasers under various categories and InMotion claims to have the patent but hasn’t made deals with adult and mainstream companies to use the technology detailed in U.S. Patent No. 6,526,219. As a result, InMotion has filed suit so far against 40 porn companies.
According to www.xbiz.com so far InMotion has named as defendants Girls Gone Wild, Pure Play Media, Sin City Entertainment, V.C.X. Ltd., Ventura Content, Pink Visual Productions, Kick Ass Pictures, Metro Media Entertainment, Sticky Video and FilmCo Productions Inc.
Third World Media, Channel 69 Video, Notorious Productions, White Ghetto, Black Market Entertainment, Combat Zone, Gentlemen’s Video, Gourmet Video, Smash Pictures, Digital Sin, Acid Rain Productions and Diabolic Video Productions.
LFP Video Group, Elegant Angel, New Sensations, Girlfriends Films, Red Light District, Zero Tolerance Entertainment, Jules Jordan Video, Anabolic Video Productions, West Coast Productions, Devil’s Films Reality Kings, Wicked Pictures, Digital Playground and Evil Angel Productions, as well as Vivid Entertainment, Penthouse Digital, Adam & Eve and Bang Productions.
Inmotion says its patent relates “generally to video recording and, more particularly, to a system for storing and displaying thumbnail images representative of the contents of a video-recording medium, thereby enabling a user to locate a particular section rapidly and conveniently.”
Other adult companies targeted in three other suits earlier this year include LFP Video Group, Elegant Angel, New Sensations, Girlfriends Films, Red Light District, Zero Tolerance Entertainment, Jules Jordan Video, Anabolic Video Productions, West Coast Productions, Devil’s Films Reality Kings, Wicked Pictures, Digital Playground and Evil Angel Productions, as well as Vivid Entertainment, Penthouse Digital, Adam & Eve and Bang Productions.
The suits are being filed at U.S. District Court in Marshall, Texas.
The federal court in Marshall is reputedly popular for patent lawsuits because of swift action dealing with complex infringement cases with little time to prepare; quick trials, plaintiff-friendly juries and huge payouts.
Patent holders win 78 percent of the time, compared with an average of 59 percent nationwide, according to LegalMetric, a company that tracks patent litigation.
InMotion is seeking damages and an injunction against the companies, as well as attorneys fees. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles Everingham IV [pictured] has been assigned to the case.