A federal court in San José is hearing a lawsuit filed by adult entertainment company Strike 3 Holdings against Meta Platforms, accusing the social media giant of copyright infringement related to artificial intelligence training. The case, which has drawn attention for its unusual parties and legal implications, centers on allegations that Meta downloaded nearly 2,400 copyrighted adult films without permission.
Strike 3 Holdings, based in Los Angeles and known for its streaming sites such as Blacked, Tushy, Vixen, and Wifey, claims Meta used unauthorized downloads of its films to train its AI systems, specifically referencing behavior similar to that outlined in previous litigation involving pirated content used for AI development. The company alleges that 47 IP addresses registered to Meta accessed its content over BitTorrent, an online file-sharing platform, more than 6,000 times. Strike 3 further contends that some of the content was redistributed on BitTorrent to exploit the platform’s peer-to-peer sharing speeds, intensifying the alleged infringement.
If Strike 3 prevails, the damages sought could total approximately $360 million, based on statutory penalties for willful copyright violations. The lawsuit was filed in July and recently survived Meta’s motion to dismiss when Judge Eumi K. Lee ruled on June 11 that the defense’s arguments “strain credulity.” Judge Lee highlighted evidence suggesting coordinated algorithmic downloads from multiple Meta IP addresses, noting simultaneous downloads of both adult content and unrelated television shows that were unlikely to reflect typical consumer behavior.
Meta, formerly Facebook and headquartered in Menlo Park, California, responded by denying corporate responsibility for the downloads. The company argued that the alleged activity could have been carried out by individual employees, contractors, visitors, or other third parties with access to Meta’s network. Meta claimed these downloads resembled sporadic personal use rather than an organized corporate strategy and maintained that the connection of an IP address alone does not prove that the corporation engaged in copyright infringement.
Strike 3 is no stranger to litigation, having filed over 21,000 lawsuits across the United States aimed at combating unauthorized distribution of its films. The company’s legal tactics have been widely criticized. In 2018, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., labeled Strike 3’s approach a “copyright troll” scheme, describing it as a form of “extortion” that pressures individuals to settle to avoid public embarrassment tied to the nature of the content involved. Defendants often face significant reputational risks because of the adult material at issue, which Strike 3 leverages by threatening large statutory damages but offering relatively modest settlements.
The case against Meta unfolds against the broader backdrop of increasing legal challenges directed at technology firms accused of using copyrighted material without permission to develop AI technologies. Lawsuits targeting corporations for alleged mass downloading of protected content have become more common, with similar claims emerging involving books, music, and other media.
The proceedings remain in their early stages, with both sides signaling a readiness to continue the dispute. For Strike 3, a victory could mark a rare win against a deep-pocketed defendant, potentially reshaping enforcement actions related to AI training data. Meta’s defense underscores the challenges of attributing responsibility within large organizations and the complexities of policing unauthorized content access in corporate environments.