No love lost as sex award rivals face off in court

A businesswoman who launched the Australian adult entertainment industry’s awards night is suing a former business partner over a rival event.

Maxine Fensom has commenced legal action in the Federal Court of Australia.

Legal action has been launched over the Australian adult entertainment industry’s highest profile awards night.

Maxine Fensom, a well-known businesswoman in the Australian adult industry, established the Australian Adult Industry Awards in 2001.

She has commenced legal action in the Federal Court of Australia against the Jake Ryan Media Group Pty Ltd and its director Geoffrey Kenneth Williams alleging Mr Williams and the company have infringed the A.A.I.A. trademark she holds and engaged in “passing off” after they launched a rival adult awards event.

Also in dispute are the control of several social media accounts and a Facebook page.

Mr Williams and the Jake Ryan Media Group were involved with Ms Fensom in the running of the Australian Adult Industry Awards from 2018 until mid 2021.

Their business relationship has since soured and Mr Williams has launched a rival awards – the Adult Industry Choice Awards.

The Australian Adult Industry Awards was established in 2001.

Ms Fensom is holding the Australian Adult Industry Awards at the Hyatt Regency Sydney on Thursday, May 26, 2022.

Mr Williams will stage his new event at The Star in Sydney on the same evening.

Ms Fensom holds the trademark A.A.I.A. and has “at all material times also used the common law trademarks of ‘AAIA’ and ‘Australian Adult Industry Awards’,” the statement of claim filed in the Federal Court reads.

It is argued that Ms Fensom has “generated substantial goodwill and reputation in Australia in relation to the AAIA Marks” and that people associate the adult awards with Ms Fensom.

In October 2021 Ms Fensom demanded the Jake Ryan Media Group and Mr Williams “cease any and all use of Australian Adult Industry Awards and AAIA.”

It is claimed the demand was ignored.

The statement of claim notes a press release dated November 23, 2021 on the adultchoiceawards.com.au website claiming: “We’ve made some amazing new changes, with the introduction of the new name and look of the awards event …. for those of you who have purchased tickets to the 2022 Australian Adult Industry Awards up until November 15th your tickets are now valid for the 2022 Adult Industry Choice Awards.”

“Obviously, there is some confusion around the adult industry about the dispute between the Australian Adult Industry Awards – A.A.I.A.® (AAIA) and the Adult Industry Choice Awards (AICA),” Ms Fensom said.

“I had no choice but to instigate legal proceedings after my lawyer’s demand that the AICA cease using AAIA assets and return control of same was effectively ignored. Also, the assertion by AICA directors that they have rebranded my AAIA event into the Adult Industry Choice Awards (AICA), which is obviously not the case, needs to be addressed by the court.

“My awards, the Australian Adult Industry Awards – A.A.I.A.®, is the only event that can lay claim to being the original Australian adult industry awards.”

Mr Williams said in a statement he strenuously denied Ms Fensom’s allegations.