• Dec. 4, 07 11:30 KUTV "In April, Thompson, a former Clean Flicks franchisee, opened Flix Club because he believed it was allowed if edited videos were used for educational use."
• Dec. 4, 07 KSL, AP & Salt Lake Tribune "His Flix Club was one of several companies that sprang up after a federal court ruled that now-closed Clean Flicks, one of the earlier edited-film companies, was violating federal copyright laws.""In April, Thompson, a former Clean Flicks franchiseeopened Flix Club because he believed it was allowed if edited videos were used for educational use."
• Dec. 5, 07 10:09 ABC4 "The courts shut down Clean-Flix last year after ruling that the editing of the original films violated federal copyright law. But Thompson and a handful of other small distributors continued to operate under a loophole in the law that allowed editing for educational purposes."
• Jan. 25, 08 21:00 WTOL-TV (Toledo, Ohio) "The decision was against a Utah company called Clean Flicks. Thompson, who was a franchise operator for Clean Flicks, opened Flix Club last year. . . ."
• Jan. 25, 08 23:15 ABC4 Headline:"Former 'Clean Flix' owner arrested for buying sex acts from teen girls". "Thompson was the owner of "Clean Flix", the company that edited R-rated movies and was recently closed down by Hollywood lawyers."
• Jan. 25, 08 CBS News "Thompson, who was a franchise operator for Clean Flicks, opened Flix Club last year, similarly trading in edited videos but claiming that such editing was for 'educational use.'"
• Jan. 25, 08 KSL "The man used to own four Clean Flicks franchises and now owns another edited-movie store, where police found a large stash of pornographic videos."
• Jan. 26, 08 7:32 Todd C. Noker (Amazon) "Thompson also at one time ran a successful Clean Flicks store in Orem, according to news reports."
• Jan. 26, 08 13:02 Salt Lake Tribune "His Flix Club was one of several companies that sprang up after a federal court ruled that now-closed Clean Flicks, one of the earlier edited-film companies, was violating federal copyright laws." "But in April, Thompson, a former Clean Flicks franchisee, opened Flix Club under what he thought was a loophole: educational use."
• Jan. 26, 08 13:02 Salt Lake Tribune "Thompson formerly operated Clean Flix - a business in Orem that edited feature films to remove or alter conduct deemed inappropriate for children or discriminating movie-goers. The store closed in December after threats of legal action from Hollywood studios."
• Jan. 26, 08 Deseret News "Thompson had just recently shut down his store because he was facing intense legal pressure from Hollywood. A judge had ruled in July 2006 that edited movies violated copyright laws."
• Jan. 26, 08 Daily Herald "Thompson, a former dealer of edited movies with CleanFlicks, started Flix Club at the same address after the dealership was terminated at a time when the Hollywood movie industry was bringing legal pressure on businesses that edited movies." "For Troy Slade, owner of modest-clothing retailer Mod Bod in Orem and Pleasant Grove, the news was startling. Thompson managed the Mod Bod store at 910 S. State St. in Orem. He was fired last year, Slade said. 'We hired him to manage our store because he had a successful business running CleanFlicks at that time,' he said. 'He was always talking about fighting Hollywood for the good of the children,' Slade said. Thompson also was founder and former member of Truth in Politics, a group started in 2006 purportedly to expose the people behind anonymous political attacks. The idea for the group was conceived at Thompson's former CleanFlicks dealership in Orem."
• Jan. 30, 08 9:57 USA Today Blogs "Clean Flicks, dirty man? Remember Clean Flicks, the Utah-based outfit that purported to scour DVDs of any material not dubbed 'family friendly?' It closed down recently after the courts ruled that such censorship violated the copyrights of the studios and directors who made the films. Turns out that the 'family friendly' outfit was a front for porno-movie shoots, and that founder Daniel Thompson has been arrested for soliciting sex from -- oh, lovely -- 14-year-old girls. He even allegedly asked the young ladies to be in one of his movies. (They refused.) Thompson, who was famously championed by various conservative politicians for his 'editing service,' appears to have changed his thinking since a July 2006 interview. . . . On the other hand, this Thompson person does seem to change his spots pretty frequently -- . . . , he closed down his Clean Flicks service in December with one last round of copyright violation that made the Salt Lake Tribune, and his MySpace page. . . ."
• Jan. 30, 08 13:26 blog.ChristianityToday.com Headline: "CleanFlicks Founder Arrested" Sub-headline: "Charged with forcible sexual activity with a 14-year-old girl, Daniel Thompson was known for editing videos to make them more family friendly." "The co-founder of CleanFlicks, a video editing service once used by many Christians, has been arrested in Utah for allegedly paying a 14-year-old girl for sex. Daniel Thompson, who ran CleanFlicks till the courts shut it down in 2006, had more recently operated Flix Club, a family-friendly edited-movie video business in Orem, Utah."

Barnard N. Madsen (4626)
Matthew R. Howell (6571)
FILLMORE SPENCER LLC
3301 N. University Avenue

Provo, Utah 84604
Telephone: 801/426-8200
Facsimile: 801/426-8208
Attorneys for Plaintiff

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF UTAH CENTRAL DIVISION

JURISDICTION AND VENUE



1. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1121(a) and 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1338(a) because there are federal questions. The common law claim is therefore within this Court’s supplemental jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367.


2. Plaintiff Clean Flicks Media, Inc. (“Clean Flicks” or “Plaintiff”) is a Utah corporation with its principal place of business in Pleasant Grove, Utah. As used in this Complaint, Clean Flicks shall refer to Clean Flicks Media, Inc. and to any predecessor, subsidiary, and affiliated entity.
3. Defendant Daniel Dean Thompson is a resident of the state of Utah.



4. This Court is the proper venue for this action under 28 U.S.C. § 1391(a) because Defendant resides in this judicial district or conducts or transacts business in this judicial district, the events or omissions giving rise to this action occurred in this judicial district, and property that is the subject of this action is situated in this judicial district.

   NATURE OF CLAIMS

   
   Since 2000, Plaintiff has been engaged in the commercial entertainment distribution industry. Plaintiff formerly sold and rented edited movies. Plaintiff currently rents unedited movies via an online business.
   Until recently, Defendant sold and rented edited movies.
   This case is about Defendant falsely representing himself to be a founder, owner, franchisee, or dealer of Clean Flicks or otherwise affiliated with Clean Flicks.
   
   
   1. Federal statutory causes of action.
      Plaintiff Clean Flicks has federal Trademark Act claims against Defendant for infringing Plaintiff's registered "CleanFlicks" trademarks for which Plaintiff seeks injunctive relief, statutory damages for willful infringement, interest, costs and attorney’s fees.
      Plaintiff Clean Flicks has a Lanham Act false designation of origin against Defendant for holding himself out as a founder, owner, franchisee or dealer of Clean Flicks, “CleanFlicks”, or “Clean Flix”, for which Plaintiff seeks injunctive relief, Defendant’s profits, Clean Flick’s damages and costs, interest, and its attorney’s fees.
      Plaintiff Clean Flicks has a Cyberpiracy Prevention Act claim against Defendant for wrongfully registering and using the misleading www.myspace.com/cleanflicks for which Plaintiff seeks injunctive relief, its damages, costs, interest, and attorney’s fees.

   
   
   2. Common law cause of action. Plaintiff has claims for tortious interference with business relationships against Defendant for soliciting and contracting with Plaintiff’s customers by improper means, for which Plaintiff seeks damages, including punitive damages.
   
   
   
   

GENERAL ALLEGATIONS

1. Plaintiff Clean Flicks Media, Inc. was incorporated in Utah in January 2004.
   
2. Plaintiff Clean Flicks Media, Inc.'s predecessor, Clean Flicks, LLC, was registered in Utah in September 2000.
   
3. Ray Lines, co-owner of Plaintiff Clean Flicks registered the cleanflicks.com domain name 8 August 2001.
   
4. Plaintiff Clean Flicks is the owner of two federally-registered 'CleanFlicks' trademarks (Reg. Nos. 2507259 and 2507260) and the associated good will. The marks were both registered 13 November 2001.
5. Plaintiff Clean Flicks was formerly in the business of producing, renting, and selling edited versions of commercial movies. It is still in the business of renting unedited commercial movies, and has retooled its www.cleanflicks.com website to reopen its online DVD rental business for unedited DVD’s under the name CLEANFLICKS.


6. Upon information and belief, on or about 2005, Defendant registered on MySpace.com as "cleanflicks" and held himself out as affiliated with Clean Flicks.


7. At no time was Defendant ever a founder, owner, franchisee or dealer of or otherwise affiliated with Clean Flicks.
8. At no time has Clean Flicks transferred to, assigned to, or authorized Defendant's use of its CLEANFLICKS trademarks, corporate identity, or good will.


9. Upon information and belief, Defendant is not authorized to do business in Utah under any registered entity, including "Clean Flicks", "Clean Flix", or "Flix Club".


10. Since on or about 4 December 2007, numerous news stories have appeared identifying Defendant as “CleanFlicks Founder”, "co-founder of CleanFlicks", "Former 'Clean Flix' owner", "the owner of 'Clean Flix', the company that edited R-rated movies and was recently closed down by Hollywood lawyers", "a former Clean Flicks franchisee", "a franchise operator for Clean Flicks", a man who "used to own four Clean Flicks franchises", a man who "at one time ran a successful Clean Flicks store", a man who "formerly operated Clean Flix - a business in Orem that edited feature films to remove or alter conduct deemed inappropriate for children", and "a former dealer of edited movies with CleanFlicks". Each of these statements is false.

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION Trademark Act Violation - (15 U.S.C. §§ 1114, 1116, 1117)



11. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all preceding and subsequent paragraphs and allegations of this Complaint as though fully set forth herein.


12. Beginning not later than December 2007, Defendant used Plaintiff’s CLEANFLICKS trademark (or the confusingly similar CLEAN FLICKS or CLEAN FLIX) without Plaintiff’s permission to market DVDs in Orem, Utah.
13. As a result of Defendant’s trademark violation, Plaintiff Clean Flicks is entitled to injunctive relief, impoundment and disposition of infringing material, statutory damages for willful infringement and its attorney’s fees and costs.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff requests the relief as described below.


SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION False Designations of Origin, Dilution (15 U.S.C. § 1125(a)



14. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all preceding and subsequent paragraphs and allegations of this Complaint as though fully set forth herein.


15. Beginning not later than December 2007, Defendant deceptively used www.myspace.com/cleanflicks and used the trademark CLEANFLICKS (or the confusingly similar CLEAN FLICKS or CLEAN FLIX), falsely passing himself off as Plaintiff Clean Flicks or as affiliated with Plaintiff Clean Flicks, all without Plaintiff ’s authorization.
16. Upon information and belief, on or about 2007, Defendant falsely designated inventory he purchased and resold under the name "CLEANFLICKS".


17. Defendant’s actions have diluted Plaintiff's trademark and as a result Plaintiff Clean Flicks is damaged and is likely to be further damaged. Plaintiff is therefore entitled to injunctive relief, Defendant’s profits and Plaintiff’s damages, plus interest and costs, in an amount to be proven at trial, and to its attorney’s fees.

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff requests the relief as described below.


THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION Cyberpiracy Prevention Act (15 U.S.C. § 1125(d)(1))



18. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all preceding and subsequent paragraphs and allegations of this Complaint as though fully set forth herein.
    
19. Upon information and belief, Defendant has or had a bad faith intent to wrongfully and personally profit from Plaintiff’s registered CLEANFLICKS service mark and, having no connection with Plaintiff or its mark, wrongfully registered and used the confusingly similar www.myspace.com/cleanflicks.
    
20. As a result of Defendant’s unauthorized registration and use of the confusingly similar www.myspace.com/cleanflicks Plaintiff Clean Flicks is damaged and will continue to be damaged. Therefore Plaintiff is entitled to injunctive relief, to an order transferring the domain name to Plaintiff, and to recover against Defendant statutory damages, plus interest and costs in an amount to be proven at trial, and to its attorney’s fees.
    WHEREFORE, Plaintiff requests the relief as described below.

    FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION Tortious interference with existing and prospective economic relations

    
    
21. Plaintiff incorporates by reference all preceding and subsequent paragraphs and allegations of this Complaint as though fully set forth herein.
    
22. Defendant’s violations of the Trademark Act, the Lanham Act, Cyberpiracy Prevention Act, and Defendant’s fraud constitute intentional interference with Plaintiff Clean Flick’s existing and potential economic relations, for an improper purpose (namely, to appropriate Plaintiff Clean Flick’s customers) or by improper means (namely, the violations of statutory and common law as described), and have caused injury to Plaintiff Clean Flicks.

23. In all this, Defendant’s actions in violation of Plaintiff’s rights were willful and wanton.
    
24. As a result of Defendant’s tortious interference, Plaintiff Flicks is entitled to recover damages against Defendant in an amount to be proven at trial, together with punitive damages, plus interest and costs, and its attorney’s fees.
    WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs request the relief as described below.
    

PRAYER

WHEREFORE, Plaintiff respectfully requests the following relief:

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION Trademark Act Violation – (15 U.S.C. §§ 1114, 1116, 1117)

SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION False Designation of Origin, Dilution (15 U.S.C. § 1125(a))

THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION Cyberpiracy Prevention Act (15 U.S.C. § 1125(d)(1))

Injunctive relief, an order transferring the domain name clean-flicks.com to Plaintiff, statutory damages in the amount of $100,000.00, plus interest and costs, in an amount to be determined at trial, and attorney’s fees.

FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION Tortious Interference

JURY TRIAL DEMANDED

Plaintiff demands that all issues triable by a jury be so tried.
RESPECTFULLY submitted this 1st day of February, 2008.

Plaintiff’s address:
P.O. Box 230
Pleasant Grove, UT 84062

VERIFICATION

STATE OF UTAH
§
COUNTY OF UTAH
Allan L. Erb, being duly sworn, deposes and says: That he is an owner of Clean Flicks Media, Inc.; that he has read the foregoing Verified Complaint and knows the contents thereof, and that the same is true of his own knowledge, except as to the matters therein stated to be alleged upon information and belief, and as to those matters he believes it to be true.

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me this 1st day of February, 2008.