Girls Gone Wild Smells a Rat, Sues Waat Media, AT&T, Verizon
LOS ANGELES, CA — Girls Gone Wild has had enough. Mantra Films and GGW Marketing, the folks behind the nubile franchise, have filed suit in district court, charging a consortium of companies that run Girls Gone Mobile with federal trademark infringement, unfair competition, dilution of mark and breach of good faith, among other allegations.Defendants in the suit include AT&T Mobility, Verizon Communication, Oasys Mobile and Waat Media, with which GGW claims it has had a wireless distribution deal dating back to 2005.
Girls Gone Mobile sells adult-themed products for use with mobile devices, such as sexy ringtones, wallpaper, videos and other items. In 2007, the company filed an application for its own mark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
“Download sexy cell phone wallpapers, girl cell phone wallpapers, bikini cell phone wallpapers, mobile phone wallpaper, adult mobile phone wallpaper,” the Girls-Gone-Mobile.com website urges. “Be the envy of all your friends with the hottest cell phone wallpaper, hot girl ringtones and videotones. If your cell phone can handle it, we’ve got it.”
Verizon is included as a respondent in the suit because the company uses the offending mark in connection with the marketing and sales of “infringing goods,” according to the complaint.
Waat Media has been associated with the adult entertainment industry for many years as a worldwide mobile distribution facilitator for adult content. The company’s platform has served as a mobile launching point for pornography bastions including Vivid Video, Penthouse and Mr. Skin.
GGW seeks an injunction, damages and other relief.