LOS ANGELES – The largest media and entertainment company in the Philippines alleges unknown individuals have started websites to illegally broadcast its copyrighted content.
ABS-CBN Corp.; ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc., doing business as Star Cinema; and ABS-CBN International Corp. filed a complaint on Oct. 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against John Does 1-10, doing business as cinepinoy.tf and also known as pinoyflix.tf, and Does 1-10 and/or XYZ corporations 2-100 alleging trademark infringement, false designation of origin, copyright infringement and other counts.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that they suffered damages to their business. The plaintiffs holds John Does 1-10, doing business as cinepinoy.tf and also known as pinoyflix.tf, and Does 1-10 and/ or XYZ corporations 2-100 responsible because the defendants allegedly provide illegal streaming services of plaintiffs' TV shows.
The plaintiffs request a trial by jury and seek enjoin the defendants from further infringing plaintiff's trademarks, order for the defendants to transfer all domain names to the plaintiffs' control, all damages plus interest, actual damages and profits, compensatory damages, disgorgement, treble, enhanced and punitive damages, all legal fees and any other relief as this court deems just. They are represented by Seong Kim and Rebecca Edelson of Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in Los Angeles.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California Case number 2:16-cv-07918-SVW-SS