A federal judge has awarded substantial default judgments to adult entertainment company Strike 3 Holdings (aka Vixen Media Group) in three consolidated copyright infringement cases filed in Georgia, marking a significant legal victory in the studio’s ongoing campaign against online piracy.

The cases were decided on March 18 by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg of the Northern District of Georgia. The defendants — all of whom failed to respond or appear in court — were each ordered to pay statutory damages of up to $97,500 for sharing dozens of copyrighted works through the BitTorrent file-sharing network.

Strike 3 Holdings, the parent company of Vixen Media Group, produces adult content through popular brands such as Vixen, Blacked, Deeper, Tushy, MILFY, and Slayed. The company has become one of the most prolific copyright plaintiffs in the United States, with over 15,000 lawsuits filed in recent years.

In the three Georgia cases, the defendants — identified as A. Salomon, H. Alexander, and K. Forbes — were accused of sharing between 35 and 130 copyrighted titles without permission. After identifying the defendants through internet service provider subpoenas linked to IP addresses, Strike 3 sought minimum statutory damages of $750 per infringed work.

While U.S. copyright law allows for damages up to $150,000 per work for willful infringement, the court accepted the plaintiff’s reduced request, calling it “reasonable.” Judge Grimberg also issued permanent injunctions barring the defendants from further infringing activity and requiring the destruction of any unlawfully obtained content.

• Salomon was found to have infringed 130 titles and was ordered to pay $97,500.
• Alexander, with 115 violations, was ordered to pay $86,250.
• Forbes, who shared 35 works, must pay $26,250.

These outcomes, while a small fraction of the thousands of cases Strike 3 pursues annually, reinforce the legal risks of digital piracy, even when defendants attempt to ignore proceedings.

Critics of Strike 3’s legal strategy argue that the lawsuits frequently rely on IP address identification, which may not definitively link infringement to the individual named. Many cases are settled confidentially out of court, and some are dismissed. Still, the Georgia judgments illustrate the potential consequences of failing to respond to litigation.

Strike 3 Holdings’ consistent pursuit of default judgments has drawn criticism from digital rights advocates, who warn that the approach may create legal pressure on individuals who cannot afford to defend themselves, regardless of culpability. Nonetheless, courts continue to uphold the right of copyright holders to seek redress.

Judge Grimberg’s ruling underscores a broader legal precedent: ignoring a lawsuit can carry a steep price, regardless of the circumstances.

I’m happy to hear that they won these cases. Taking something that doesn’t belong ot you is theft – that includes things like someone else’s car or even someone else’s content.  Theft is a crime and I’m happy to see these three people get punished for their crime. You can’t steal people’s things and not expect to face punishment for it.

You can follow Vixen on X at @vixen.