ScorpCast v. Manica Media: Interactive Video Patent Suit Dismissed With Prejudice
ScorpCast LLC, doing business as HaulStars, brought a patent infringement action in the Eastern District of Texas against Manica Media SL and co-defendants over US9965780B2, an interactive video technology patent. The case — one of at least six coordinated actions filed simultaneously — resolved via joint motion and was dismissed with prejudice after approximately 3.5 years of litigation.
Coordinated interactive video patent campaign ends with prejudice dismissal
ScorpCast LLC, operating under the trade name HaulStars, filed suit on June 16, 2020 in the Eastern District of Texas against Manica Media SL and a co-defendant identified as Mg, asserting infringement of US9965780B2. The patent covers interactive video technology, and the accused products included Pornhub and related adult video hub sites. The case was assigned to Chief Judge Rodney Gilstrap, one of the most active patent judges in the United States, and formed part of a coordinated wave of at least six substantially parallel actions filed by ScorpCast around the same date.
The case closed on January 17, 2024, when the Court granted a joint motion to dismiss filed by ScorpCast and all defendants — including Boutique Media PTY LTD, All 4 Health SRL, KB Productions LLC, Manica Media SL, Oanasun Entertainment SRL, and Bravomax Services Limited. The dismissal was entered with prejudice, meaning ScorpCast is permanently barred from re-asserting the same claims under US9965780B2 against these specific defendants. The Court ordered each party to bear its own costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees, suggesting a negotiated resolution rather than a court-imposed outcome.
The case ran for approximately 1,310 days before resolution — consistent with complex multi-defendant patent litigation in the Eastern District of Texas. The joint motion and mutual cost-bearing arrangement strongly suggest the parties reached a private settlement, though no financial terms are disclosed in the public record. What remains unknown is whether any licensing agreements were executed, whether the defendants obtained covenants not to sue on related patents, and whether ScorpCast’s parallel actions in the same docket cluster resolved on equivalent terms.
Filing to filing in 1310 days
Duration from filing to dismissal order
Full party and counsel information
| Role | Name | Type | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plaintiff | ScorpCast, LLC | Company | Interactive video patent licensing entity (HaulStars) — holder of US9965780B2Search in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant | Manica Media, SL | Company | Manica Media SL — operator of adult video streaming hub sites including PornhubSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Plaintiff counsel | Todd Eric Landis | Attorney | Counsel for ScorpCast, LLCSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant counsel | Christopher Gerson | Attorney | Counsel for Manica Media, SLSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant counsel | Frank M. Gasparo | Attorney | Counsel for Manica Media, SLSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant counsel | Jaewon Lee | Attorney | Counsel for Manica Media, SLSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant counsel | Jonathan Mark Sharret | Attorney | Counsel for Manica Media, SLSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Defendant counsel | Melissa Richards Smith | Attorney | Counsel for Manica Media, SLSearch in Eureka ↗ |
| Presiding judge | Judge Rodney Gilstrap | Chief Judge | Texas Eastern District Court — Chief JudgeSearch in Eureka ↗ |
Stipulation of dismissal — official text
The order grants a joint motion and enters dismissal with prejudice across all claims and causes of action between the parties. Critically, it names six case numbers closed simultaneously, confirming this was a coordinated resolution of a multi-action campaign. The ‘each party bears its own costs’ provision signals no prevailing party was designated and no § 285 fees were sought. No merits findings were made — the patent’s validity and the defendants’ infringement exposure remain untested by any published court ruling.
US9965780B2 — Interactive Video Engagement Technology
US9965780B2 covers interactive video technology — broadly, systems and methods that enable user engagement actions within or upon a video stream. The application number US15/688566 indicates a direct national stage or continuation filing, and the patent was asserted against online video platforms described as ‘hub sites’, including Pornhub. The technical domain sits at the intersection of video delivery infrastructure and user-interaction overlays — a commercially significant area as streaming platforms increasingly incorporate clickable, shoppable, or choice-driven video features.
The strategic value of this patent lies in its potential applicability across any video platform deploying interactive elements — not merely adult content sites. The fact that ScorpCast filed six coordinated actions simultaneously suggests a deliberate monetisation strategy targeting an entire sector rather than a single competitor. For companies in the broader video streaming, e-commerce video, or interactive advertising space, US9965780B2 represents a potential blocking patent that warrants proactive Freedom-to-Operate analysis, particularly given the with-prejudice resolution that kept the patent alive against future defendants.
Should your product team run an FTO against US9965780B2?
Any company deploying interactive video features — including clickable overlays, user-choice branching, shoppable video, or engagement-triggered content — should consider whether US9965780B2 reads on their implementation. The coordinated filing pattern and multi-year litigation survivability of this patent suggests it is not a paper tiger. R&D teams building video interactivity features, and product managers at streaming platforms, OTT services, or ad-tech companies, should treat this patent as a live risk rather than a resolved one.
PatSnap Eureka’s FTO Search Agent enables your team to map the claims of US9965780B2 against your product architecture in minutes — identifying specific claim elements that may overlap with your deployment. Eureka’s claim monitoring tools can also alert you to continuation filings or related applications in the same family that ScorpCast or HaulStars may assert next. Given the coordinated enforcement history, early detection is materially cheaper than late-stage litigation response in E.D. Texas.
Run a freedom-to-operate analysis on US9965780B2 to assess your product’s exposure
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What this case signals for the interactive video IP landscape
A six-case simultaneous dismissal with prejudice in E.D. Texas suggests a structured licensing resolution — with lessons for any platform streaming interactive content.
Adult video platforms face credible interactive video patent exposure
ScorpCast’s ability to sustain litigation for over three years across six coordinated actions in E.D. Texas — before achieving a resolution that includes with-prejudice dismissals — suggests US9965780B2 carried sufficient claim credibility to compel negotiation. Operators of interactive or choice-driven video platforms should assess their exposure to this patent family before a demand letter arrives.
E.D. Texas remains a preferred venue for coordinated patent assertion campaigns
Filing six parallel actions simultaneously in the Eastern District of Texas under Chief Judge Gilstrap is a deliberate strategic choice. The district’s patent-friendly procedural history and experienced bench make it a high-pressure venue for defendants. Companies receiving demand letters citing E.D. Texas should treat venue risk as a material factor in early litigation cost-benefit analysis.
ScorpCast v Manica — key questions answered
The case was dismissed with prejudice on January 17, 2024, pursuant to a joint motion filed by all parties. Each party was ordered to bear its own costs, expenses, and attorneys’ fees. No merits determination was made by the Court.
ScorpCast LLC, operating as HaulStars, asserted US9965780B2, an interactive video technology patent. The accused products included Pornhub and related adult video hub sites operated by the defendants.
Dismissal with prejudice operates as a final judgment on the merits for the named parties. ScorpCast is permanently barred from refiling the same claims under US9965780B2 against the named defendants. It does not affect ScorpCast’s ability to assert the patent against unrelated third parties.
The dismissal order directed closure of six case numbers simultaneously — 2:20-cv-192, -193, -198, -200, -203, and -210 — all resolved by the same joint motion. This pattern is consistent with a coordinated patent assertion campaign targeting multiple operators of adult video streaming platforms.
The parties represented to the Court that the case had been resolved before filing the joint dismissal motion, strongly suggesting a private settlement. However, no financial terms, license terms, or covenant details are disclosed in the public record. The Court made no findings on settlement terms.
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