031141598120

Case 2:24-cv-00377-SPG-E Document 1 Filed 01/16/24 Page 1 of 46 Page ID #:1
1 DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP

J. Michael Keyes (SBN 262281)
2 [email protected]
Connor J. Hansen (pro hac vice)
3 [email protected]
701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6100
4 Seattle, WA 98104
Telephone: 206.903.8800
5 Facsimile: 206.903.8820
6 DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP
Kent J. Schmidt (SBN 195969)
7 [email protected]
600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 200
8 Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Telephone: 714.800.1400
9 Facsimile: 714.800.1499
10 Attorneys for Plaintiff AXS Group LLC
11
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
12
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
13
Case No. 2:24-CV-00377 REDACTED
14 AXS GROUP LLC,
VERIFIED COMPLAINT FOR:
15 Plaintiff,
1) FEDERAL COPYRIGHT
16 v. INFRINGEMENT;
17 INTERNET REFERRAL SERVICES, 2) VIOLATION OF DIGITAL
LLC, EVENT TICKETS CENTER, MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT
18 INC., VERIFIED-TICKET.COM, ACT;
AMOSA.APP and SECURE.TICKETS, 3) TRADEMARK
19 COUNTERFEITING;
Defendants. 4) FEDERAL TRADEMARK
20 INFRINGEMENT;
21 5) FEDERAL FALSE
DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN
22 AND UNFAIR COMPETITION;
23 6) UNFAIR COMPETITION
UNDER CAL. BUS. & PROF.
24 CODE;
7) COMMON LAW FALSE
25 DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN
AND UNFAIR COMPETITION;
26 8) CIVIL CONSPIRACY; AND
27 9) BREACH OF CONTRACT.
28 JURY DEMANDED
1 Plaintiff AXS Group LLC by and through its counsel, Dorsey & Whitney LLP,
2 for its Verified Complaint alleges as follows:
3 I. INTRODUCTION & SUMMARY OF RELIEF REQUESTED
4 1. AXS Group LLC (“AXS,” pronounced “Access”) brings this action
5 against Defendants Internet Referral Services LLC, Event Tickets Center, Inc.,
6 Verified-Ticket.com, Amosa.app and Secure.Tickets alleging numerous federal and
7 state claims related to copyright infringement, violations of the Digital Millennium
8 Copyright Act, trademark counterfeiting, trademark infringement, unfair
9 competition, unfair or deceptive trade practices, and civil conspiracy arising from
10 Defendants’ willful, deliberate, and malicious acts that are causing substantial and
11 irreparable harm to AXS’s goodwill, reputation, and business. Defendants’ acts are
12 also causing widespread damage and harm to unwitting consumers who are the
13 victims of Defendants’ fraudulent conduct.
14 2. AXS provides proprietary ticketing software and services including
15 through an internet website and mobile application (the “AXS Platform”) to hundreds
16 of event organizer clients who present sports and entertainment events in the United
17 States, including the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the T-Mobile Arena in Las
18 Vegas, Nevada, and the Ryman Auditorium and Grand Ol Opry in Nashville,
19 Tennessee. AXS utilizes the AXS Platform to market, sell and distribute tickets on
20 behalf of its event organizer clients, and delivers digital tickets to end user customers
21 who purchased tickets on the AXS Platform using AXS’s patented AXS Mobile ID
22 technology.
23 3. The original sales process, where the tickets to an event are sold to the
24 public on behalf of event organizers for the first time, is sometimes known as the
25 “primary market” sale of tickets. After a ticket has been sold on the primary market,
26 the purchaser of such ticket, who for the most popular events where the highest resale
27 prices are commanded, is often a professional reseller or broker making a large profit
28 on the resale of the ticket, will list the ticket for sale on a website that offers the ticket
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VERIFIED COMPLAINT Case No. 2:24-CV-00377
1 for resale or what is sometimes known as the “secondary market” sale of tickets.
2 4. AXS sells “primary market” tickets on behalf of its clients and also
3 provides a “secondary market” service for persons who purchased an AXS client
4 event ticket in the primary market to post their ticket for resale using a feature of the
5 AXS Platform (known as “AXS Official Resale”), where new end user buyers can
6 purchase the ticket and AXS will fulfill the delivery of the ticket using AXS Mobile
7 ID technology.
8 5. AXS does not own any of the tickets that it sells. Rather, in the primary
9 market, AXS acts in an agency capacity for its clients—the venues, promoters, and
10 teams on whose behalf AXS sells live event tickets to their fans. In the secondary
11 (resale) market, AXS offers the sales platform and ticket delivery for resellers to sell
12 their tickets to new buyers on the AXS Official Resale marketplace. AXS’s goal is
13 to serve its clients by getting authentic tickets into the hands of their fans on the terms
14 established by those clients, and to serve fans by providing them access to buy tickets
15 for the events they want to attend.
16 6. As detailed herein, the tickets purchased through the AXS Platform are
17 branded with Plaintiff’s trademarks. Plaintiff owns a valid and subsisting copyright
18 in the mobile application (the “AXS App”) that allows users to buy, sell, view, and
19 use their digital tickets. Further, as set forth below, in order to prevent fraudulent
20 activity, Plaintiff has developed proprietary security features to ensure that AXS
21 digital tickets are associated with the consumers who purchased them and ensure that
22 consumer data is protected.
23 7. Defendants operate third-party ticket retail platforms and/or ticket
24 delivery services, listing, selling and delivering secondary market tickets listed by
25 ticket resellers or brokers on third party secondary market ticket sales websites.
26 Collectively, and on information and belief, Defendants market, advertise, sell,
27 display, distribute, and/or deliver to consumers digital tickets that purport to be
28 authentic AXS digital tickets. In reality though, the digital tickets, made to look like
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1 AXS tickets, distributed by Defendants through unaffiliated websites or emails are

2 counterfeits. These counterfeit tickets bear Plaintiff’s trademarks and, on information
3 and belief, were created, in whole or in part by one or more of the Defendants illicitly
4 accessing and then mimicking, emulating, or copying tickets from the AXS Platform
5 and/or the AXS App, without Plaintiff’s permission or consent. Further, at least two
6 of the Defendants (Internet Referral Services LLC and Event Tickets Center, Inc.)
7 have also represented to consumers that they are using AXS’s proprietary technology
8 to sell, resell, deliver, or transfer tickets, when they are in fact circumventing AXS’s
9 technology. Defendants operate in the shadows of the internet. In some instances,
10 Defendants have gone to great lengths to conceal their identities.
11 8. This pernicious and illicit activity is causing disruption to Plaintiff’s
12 business and negatively impacting its goodwill and reputation in the marketplace as
13 well as harming and disrupting the business of AXS’s clients. Consumers who
14 purchase or are sent these counterfeit AXS tickets do not know the tickets of the
15 delivery method are fake. These consumers do not know that the ticket and delivery
16 method is not actually associated with AXS because both the ticket and the delivery
17 method look like real AXS tickets or the real AXS App. Consumers who receive
18 these fake tickets unwittingly arrive at the venue, present what they think are
19 authentic tickets from the venue’s official ticketing provider (i.e., AXS) and may be
20 turned away or otherwise denied admission. These aggrieved consumers, in turn,
21 believe Plaintiff is the cause of the problem when, in reality, Defendants are the
22 culprits behind these brazen and blatantly illegal acts.
23 9. Defendants’ continued unauthorized use of Plaintiff’s trademarks and
24 protected elements of Plaintiff’s copyright protected work inflicts damage and injury
25 to AXS’s goodwill, reputation, and business and has and will continue to cause
26 widespread, irreparable injury unless enjoined by this Court. Plaintiff seeks
27 expedited discovery, immediate injunctive relief, all monetary damages available to
28 it in law or in equity, and an award of attorneys’ fees and costs for Defendants’
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1 wanton and oppressive conduct.

2 II. PARTIES
3 10. AXS is a limited liability company organized under the laws of the state
4 of Delaware and has its principal place of business in this judicial district at 425 W.
5 11th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States.
6 11. Defendant Internet Referral Services LLC (“IRS”) is a foreign limited
7 liability company organized under the laws of the state of Delaware. IRS can be
8 served with process by serving its registered agent Harvard Business Services, Inc.
9 at 16192 Coastal HWY, Lewes, DE 19958. As described in more detail below,
10 Defendant IRS owns and operates a ticket retail service called Tickets-Center.com.
11 On information and belief, IRS owns and operates additional ticket retail platforms,
12 the identities of which are unknown to Plaintiff.
13 12. Defendant Event Tickets Center, Inc. (“ETC”) is a corporation
14 organized under the laws of the State of Florida with its principal address at 308 West
15 University Avenue, Suite B, Gainesville, FL 32601. As described further below,
16 Defendant ETC operates a digital ticket retail and/or delivery service through the
17 domain name eventticketscenter.com. On information and belief, ETC may own
18 and/or operate additional ticket retail platforms, the identities of which are unknown
19 to Plaintiff.
20 13. Defendant Verified-Ticket.com operates a digital ticket retail and/or
21 delivery service through the domain name verified-ticket.com. Attached hereto as
22 Exhibit A is a copy of the “Whois”1 report for Defendant Verified-Ticket.com. As
23 set forth therein, Google LLC acted as the domain name registrar for Defendant
24
1
25 Whois is “a domain lookup [that] allows you to trace the ownership and tenure of
a domain name” and its reports contain “details such as the registration date of the
26
domain name, when it expires, ownership and contact information, nameserver
27 information of the domain, the registrar via which the domain was purchased, etc.”
See WHOIS, Frequently Asked Questions, https://www.whois.com/whois/ (last
28
accessed June 30, 2023).
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1 Verified-Ticket.com and the contact information provided is a proxy called “Contact

2 Privacy Inc. Customer 7151571251.” Contact Privacy Inc.’s Terms of Service
3 provide that the Customer number is “an individual customer identification number
4 which is unique per domain name.” 2 Accordingly, on information and belief,
5 Customer 7151571251 is the individual or entity who owns and operates verified-
6 ticket.com, however the true identity of the individual or entity behind this proxy is
7 unknown to Plaintiff at this time.
8 14. Defendant Amosa.app operates a digital ticket retail and/or delivery
9 service through the domain name amosa.app. Attached hereto as Exhibit B is a copy
10 of the Whois report for Defendant Amosa.app. As shown in that Whois report,
11 Dynadot LLC acted as the registrar for Defendant Amosa.app and the contact
12 information provided therein is “Redacted for Privacy.” The true identity of the
13 individual or entity who owns and operates Defendant Amosa.app is unknown to
14 Plaintiff at this time.
15 15. Defendant Secure.Tickets operates a digital ticket retail and/or delivery
16 service through the domain name secure.tickets. Attached hereto as Exhibit C is a
17 copy of the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers report for
18 Defendant Secure.Tickets. As shown in the ICANN report, Namecheap Inc. acted as
19 the registrar for Defendant Secure.Tickets and the contact information provided
20 therein is “Redacted for Privacy.” The true identity of the individual or entity who
21 owns and operates Defendant Secure.Tickets is unknown to Plaintiff at this time.
22 16. Plaintiff intends to seek discovery, including on an expedited basis
23 and/or through subpoenas to third-party registrars, to ascertain the true identities of
24 the individuals or entities associated with the Defendants Verified-Ticket.com,
25 Amosa.app, and Secure.Tickets. Plaintiff will either file an amended complaint
26
2
27 Contact Privacy Inc. Terms of Service, https://contactprivacy.com/?action=wp_
mailer_show_terms#:~:text=We%20shall%20have%20the%20right,in%20the%20g
28
ood%20faith%20belief (last accessed Aug. 4, 2023).
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1 and/or seek leave of this Court to do so when their identities are ascertained.
2 III. JURISDICTION AND VENUE
3 17. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this case pursuant to
4 28 U.S.C. § 1331 and § 1338 because this dispute concerns the rights of parties under
5 the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 101 et seq., and the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1051 et
6 seq.
7 18. This Court has supplemental jurisdiction over all state claims under 28
8 U.S.C. § 1367 because all state law claims asserted herein are related to the same
9 controversy, specifically Defendants marketing, offering for sale, and sale of
10 counterfeit tickets, which give rise to the federal causes of action.
11 19. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendants because, upon
12 information and belief, Defendants regularly: (a) conduct, transact, and/or solicit
13 business in California and in this judicial district; (b) derive substantial revenue from
14 their business transactions in California and in this judicial district; and/or otherwise
15 (c) avail themselves of the privileges and protections of the State of California such
16 that this Court’s assertion of jurisdiction does not offend traditional notions of fair
17 play and due process. For example, as set forth in more detail below, one or more of
18 the Defendants have offered for sale, sold, distributed, displayed and/or allowed to
19 be displayed counterfeit tickets to consumers in this judicial district, including fake
20 or fraudulent digital tickets to games for the LA Clippers and LA Kings. In addition,
21 Defendants’ infringing conduct has caused injury to Plaintiff in California and this
22 judicial district such that Defendants should reasonably expect such actions to have
23 consequences in California and this judicial district.
24 20. Further, on information and belief, one or more of the Defendants have
25 downloaded the AXS App for purposes of reverse-engineering it and otherwise
26 violating the Copyright Act as detailed and set forth herein. When using or
27 downloading the AXS App, users agree to and are bound by AXS’s Terms of Use,
28 which provide: “you agree that any action at law or in equity arising out of or relating
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1 to these Terms shall be filed only in the state or federal courts located in Los Angeles
2 County, California, and you hereby consent and submit to the personal jurisdiction
3 of such courts for the purposes of litigating any such action.” Accordingly,
4 Defendants have consented to personal jurisdiction in this judicial district.
5 21. Alternatively, this Court has personal jurisdiction over any foreign
6 Defendants pursuant to Rule 4(k)(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to the
7 extent any given Defendant is not subject to the jurisdiction of any state’s court of
8 general jurisdiction, because exercising jurisdiction over Defendants, who conduct
9 substantial business with consumers in the United States, is consistent with the
10 United States Constitution and its laws.
11 22. Venue is proper in this judicial district pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
12 § 1391(b)(2) and § 1400 because, as described herein, Defendants conduct, transact,
13 and/or solicit business in this judicial district and the actions that give rise to the
14 allegations of this Complaint, namely Defendants’ marketing, offering for sale, and
15 sale of tickets to consumers occur in this district. Defendants are also subject to
16 Plaintiff’s Terms of Use, as noted above, which require any lawsuit to be brought in
17 the state or federal courts in Los Angeles.
18 IV. PLAINTIFF’S E-TICKETING BUSINESS OPERATION
19 The AXS Platform for Selling and Re-Selling Tickets
20 23. The AXS Platform includes an online website (https://www.axs.com)
21 and the AXS App, which interoperates with the AXS website to provide ticket sale
22 and distribution for sports and entertainment events. The AXS App is available for
23 download from both the Apple App Store (for Apple devices) and Google Play Store
24 (for Android devices). In the Apple App Store, the AXS App has an average rating
25 of 4.7 out of 5 stars, with nearly 267,000 ratings as of the time this Complaint was
26 filed. In the Google Play Store, the AXS App enjoys a 4.3 star rating, has nearly
27 20,000 reviews, and has been downloaded more than 5,000,000 times. In total, the
28 AXS App has been downloaded by users. Consumers can
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1 search for and purchase primary market and resale tickets to various AXS client
2 events through the AXS Platform, both online and in the AXS App.
3 24. AXS uses security and access control measures to prevent misuse of the
4 AXS App, including
5 .
6 25. Plaintiff has more than 300 event organizer clients and sells millions of
7 tickets for thousands of events per year in the United Sates. AXS assures consumers
8 that AXS tickets purchased through the AXS Platform, whether a primary sale or a
9 secondary sale ticket, are “100% authentic tickets.”
10 26. When a ticket is sold again from the buyer of that ticket to a new buyer,
11 it is sometimes known as a “resale” or a “secondary market” ticket. In the primary
12 market, the venue, team, or event promoter sets the price for the ticket. In the resale
13 market, ticket prices are set by the ticket reseller (also referred to as a “broker”). If
14 a reseller or broker sells a genuine AXS ticket through AXS Official Resale, that
15 resold ticket will be delivered through the AXS Platform directly to the purchaser in
16 their AXS App. In order to access that resold ticket, the purchaser will have to
17 download the AXS App on a mobile device so that the authentic AXS ticket can be
18 delivered. AXS assures consumers that resale tickets purchased through the AXS
19 Platform are “100% authentic tickets.”
20 27. Depending on the client, event, or venue, some tickets sold through the
21 AXS platform include “premium” benefits such as access to enhanced seating or
22 “VIP packages” that may include additional perks such as special merchandise,
23 access to “meet-and-greets” with celebrities, and other benefits. The benefits are then
24 associated with the authentic AXS ticket and will render in the customer’s AXS App.
25 If a ticket has been counterfeited, mimicked, or emulated, as is the case with the
26 tickets marketed by Defendants, the premium benefits may not render in the
27 customer’s AXS App, thus denying the customer the benefits that they purchased.
28
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1 AXS Mobile ID Technology (Formerly Known as “Flash

2 Seats”)
28. Regardless of whether consumers purchase original issue primary
3
market tickets from AXS, or resale market tickets through AXS Official Resale, AXS
4
ensures they are “100% authentic” because of proprietary software developed by
5
AXS called “AXS Mobile ID.” AXS Mobile ID is an identity-based ticketing
6
technology that assigns a unique identifier to each consumer and a mechanism for
7
associating each digital ticket to the proper consumer. For security purposes, AXS
8
developed a proprietary code-rotation algorithm, which changes the “QR code”3 on
9
an AXS Mobile ID digital ticket on a variable duration, typically set to every 59
10
seconds. The term “AXS Mobile ID” is prominently displayed on Plaintiff’s website
11
and other locations and is often times accompanied by explanatory text about how
12
AXS Mobile ID provides a “secure ticketing experience for fans.”
13
29. Regardless of whether a consumer purchases a primary or resale market
14
AXS digital ticket, the ticket will always be delivered to the purchaser inside the AXS
15
App on the purchaser’s mobile device. The purchaser then presents the digital ticket
16
inside the AXS App at the venue to gain admission.
17
30. AXS uses a distinctive and recognizable color scheme and layout for its
18
digital tickets in the AXS App. There is an ability for the customer to select from a
19
few color schemes and likewise newer AXS App versions have modified layouts, but
20
genuine AXS tickets always have small AXS digital watermarks throughout the
21
background and prominently display the term AXS Mobile ID. There is also a
22
rotating QR code generated from within the AXS App, along with information about
23
the venue, event, and purchaser contained on the face of the digital ticket. The default
24
and most common color scheme contains a deep, rich purple hue background. The
25
26 3
A QR Code is a “two-dimensional barcode printed as a square pattern of black and
27 white squares that encodes data.” QR Code, Merriam-Webster,
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/QR%20code (last accessed June 30,
28
2023).
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1 following is an example of how a typical AXS digital ticket appears within the AXS
2 App:
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 31. Since at least September 1, 2020, Plaintiff has promoted AXS Mobile
21 ID to customers and prospective customers to assure them that both the sale and
22 purchase of AXS digital tickets is safe and secure. These assurances about AXS
23 Mobile ID are prominently displayed and promoted to consumers and fans. They
24 can be found on multiple locations on AXS’s website, on the Apple App and Google
25 Play stores, and several Youtube.com videos. Attached hereto as Exhibit D are true
26 and correct examples of how AXS Mobile ID is promoted to the public.
27 32. Further, many of AXS’s client websites that operate entertainment
28 venues and professional sports associations in the Los Angeles area and beyond also
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1 tout the safety and security of using AXS Mobile ID. These include, but are not
2 limited to, Crypto.com Arena, the National Hockey League, The Regency Ballroom
3 in San Francisco, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Attached hereto as Exhibit E
4 are true and correct copies of website printouts from these organizations where they
5 promote the safety and security of AXS Mobile ID.
6 33. Prior to adopting “AXS Mobile ID,” AXS had previously used the
7 trademark “Flash Seats” (dating back to at least April 2006) as the name for the
8 electronic delivery of authentic AXS tickets to consumers. References to “Flash
9 Seats” are still made on axs.com, as well as third-party sites that state things such as
10 “AXS Mobile ID (formerly Flash Seats).” Attached hereto as Exhibit F are true and
11 correct copies of references to AXS’s “Flash Seats.”
12 34. To date, AXS (and its clients) have sold millions of AXS-branded
13 genuine electronic tickets to consumers and other purchasers in the U.S. In 2022
14 alone, AXS generated revenues
15 .
16 35. Importantly, genuine AXS digital tickets using AXS Mobile ID are not
17 delivered to a purchaser’s email account. Further, genuine AXS digital tickets are
18 not delivered to any sort of website where purchasers are required to log in and show
19 their digital ticket to gain admission. As detailed herein, the counterfeit digital tickets
20 at the center of this dispute are being delivered directly to purchasers’ email accounts,
21 or through a website unaffiliated with AXS—telltale signs that the consumers have
22 purchased counterfeit tickets.
23 V. PLAINTIFF’S VALID AND SUBSISTING INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY RIGHTS
24
The AXS Trademarks
25
36. Plaintiff has used the name “AXS” since at least as early as August 2011
26
to offer its goods and services in commerce to consumers in the United States.
27
37. Plaintiff markets its goods and services through its own website, through
28
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1 the AXS App, through its clients, the venue, team and event promoters whose tickets
2 AXS makes available via the AXS Platform, through various social media platforms,
3 and through other print and electronic media.
4 38. Plaintiff and its services have also been featured in prominent, national
5 publications, including but not limited to The Los Angeles Times, The New York
6 Times, Business Wire, Variety, and Billboard. Examples of just some of the articles
7 from these organizations are attached hereto as Exhibit G.
8 39. Through its extensive marketing and exclusive use of the AXS brand,
9 Plaintiff has developed tremendous goodwill associated with it, and consumers have
10 come to associate the AXS brand exclusively with Plaintiff.
11 40. Plaintiff has made significant investments in developing and protecting
12 the AXS brand. Plaintiff owns the following U.S. trademark registrations
13 (hereinafter “AXS Registrations”), all of which have been duly registered with the
14 United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO):
15 Reg. No. Trademark Goods/Services
16 4,429,044 AXS 35: Promotion of sporting events, musical concerts
and other entertainment events of others
17
41: Arranging for ticket reservations for sporting
18 events, musical concerts and other entertainment
events; Ticket agency services for sporting events,
19
musical concerts and other entertainment events,
20 rendered online, through phone orders and through
ticket outlets
21
4,830,497 AXS 9: Computer software for building customer lists
22 ADVANTAGE and marketing campaigns related to entertainment
and sporting events
23
5,880,643 AXS 41: Arranging for ticket reservations for sporting
24 ANYWHERE events, musical concerts and other entertainment
25 events; Ticket agency services for sporting events,
musical concerts and other entertainment events,
26 rendered online, through phone orders and through
27 ticket outlets in various channels of distribution
28
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1 5,954,081 AXS 35: Business research and data analysis services in

2 INTELLIGENCE the field of ticketing for live sports and music
events
3 5,953,686 AXS INSIGHT 35: Business research and data analysis services in
4 the field of ticketing for live sports and music
events
5 5,680,286 AXS PATIO 9: Audio and video recordings featuring recorded
6 SESSIONS musical performances provided through internet,
video-on-demand, digital media and other forms of
7 transmission media
8 41: Entertainment services in the nature of a live
performances, provided live and through internet,
9 video-on-demand, digital media and other forms of
10 transmission media; providing online information
in the field of entertainment concerning
11 performances by musicians and bands; providing a
12 website featuring non-downloadable audio
recordings in the field of musical performances
13 provided through internet, video-on-demand,
14 digital media and other forms of transmission
media
15
41. Each of the AXS Registrations is valid, subsisting, and in full force and
16
effect. True and correct copies of the AXS Registrations are attached hereto as
17
Exhibit H. Further, Registration No. 4,429,044 and Registration No. 4,830,497 are
18
“incontestable” because Plaintiff has used them continuously for at least five
19
consecutive years and the USPTO has acknowledged the declarations of
20
incontestability for these registrations. Plaintiff owns each of the AXS Registrations4
21
and enjoys common law rights with respect to the marks set forth in those AXS
22
Registrations as well.
23
42. Additionally, Plaintiff also owns common law trademark rights with
24
respect to “AXS Mobile ID” for its proprietary software components that ensure
25
consumers that they are using safe and secure AXS technology to buy and sell their
26
digital tickets. Prior to adopting AXS Mobile ID, AXS used the term “Flash Seats”
27
28 4
Plaintiff owns Registration No. 4,429,044 by assignment.
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1 as the name for its proprietary components that ensured consumers they are using
2 safe and secure AXS technology to buy and sell their tickets. AXS also owns
3 common law trademark rights in “Flash Seats.” On March 4, 2021, AXS applied to
4 register with the USPTO the mark “Flash Seats” for, among other services,
5 “[p]roviding temporary use of on-line non-downloadable software for use in the
6 sports and entertainment industries, namely, software for use in the issuance, printing
7 and exchange of event tickets.” Attached hereto as Exhibit I is a true and correct
8 copy of the Notice of Allowance issued by the USPTO on September 28, 2021. Both
9 AXS Mobile ID and Flash Seats have been used in commerce by Plaintiff long before
10 Defendants started their illicit marketing and infringement regimes.
11 43. The marks as reflected in the AXS Registrations, and the common law
12 rights to the marks reflected in the AXS Registrations and to the marks “AXS Mobile
13 ID” and “Flash Seats,” are all collectively referred to herein as the “AXS Marks.”
14 The AXS Copyrights
15 44. Plaintiff also owns copyright registrations covering the AXS App. The
16 copyright registrations cover both the iOS version of the AXS App available on the
17 Apple App Store and the Android version of the AXS App available on the Google
18 Play Store.
19 45. The United States Copyright Office registered Plaintiff’s copyright in
20 “AXS Mobile Application for iOS, Version 5.8.7” under Number TX0009296416,
21 with an effective registration date of July 26, 2023. A true and correct copy of the
22 Certificate of Registration is attached hereto as Exhibit J.
23 46. The United States Copyright Office registered Plaintiff’s copyright in
24 “AXS Mobile Application for Android, Version 5.8.7” under Number
25 TX0009300435, with an effective registration date of August 15, 2023. A true and
26 correct copy of the Certificate of Registration is attached hereto as Exhibit K.
27 47. The Certificates of Registration are prima facie evidence of the validity
28 of Plaintiff’s copyrights in the AXS App. The copyrighted works as reflected in the
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1 Certificates of Registration are collectively referred to herein as the “AXS App

2 Copyrights.”
3 48. By operation of law, the Copyright Registrations cover Plaintiff’s source
4 code embodied in the AXS App, both the iOS and Android versions, as well the user
5 interface of the AXS App and all copyrightable content on the screen displays
6 generated by the source code, including the arrangement and selection of the digital
7 tickets.
8 Notice of Plaintiff’s Trademarks and Copyrights
9 49. Plaintiff provides notice of its trademarks and copyrights rights to
10 consumers and individuals or entities who use Plaintiff’s AXS Platform. For
11 example, on its website, axs.com, and the AXS App, Plaintiff’s Terms of Use
12 provides the following notice relating to Plaintiff’s trademark and copyrights:
13 We are the owner or licensee of all of the content contained on the
Services (which includes, without limitation, all graphics, text, images,
14
photographs, videos, illustrations, and the design, selection and
15 arrangement thereof), as well as the software (including any images or
files incorporated in or generated by the software), underlying code, and
16
data accompanying the software for the Site (collectively, the
17 “Software”). The Services and Software are protected by copyright,
patent and/or trademark and/or other proprietary intellectual property
18
rights, which are owned or licensed by us, and are protected under
19 United States and international intellectual property laws. By using the
Services, you acknowledge that you do not acquire any ownership rights
20
to the Services, Software or any contents thereof.
21
AXS Terms of Use, Ownership, https://www.axs.com/about-terms-of-
22
use_US_v1.html (Dec. 14, 2018) (last accessed November 6, 2023).
23
50. Plaintiff’s Terms of Use also include limits or prohibitions on using
24
Plaintiff’s copyright protected materials, including the AXS App in particular:
25
Our Mobile App is protected by copyright and may not be sold,
26 redistributed, copied, made available to the public, or part of a derivative
work created by you without the express written consent of AXS. You
27 may not attempt to decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or
otherwise modify our Mobile App, or in any way compromise the
28 security of data stored or transmitted by our Mobile App.
-16-
1 AXS Terms of Use, Permitted Use of Mobile Application,

2 https://www.axs.com/about-terms-of-use_US_v1.html (Dec. 14, 2018) (last accessed
3 November 6, 2023).
4 51. Similarly, Plaintiff’s Terms of Service provide the following limitations
5 and prohibitions relating to use of Plaintiff’s trademarks:
6 The trademarks, logos, and service marks displayed on the Services
7 (collectively the “Trademarks”) are the registered and unregistered
trademarks owned by us or by our licensors, service providers and or
8 others that have granted us permission to use such Trademarks. You
may not use the Trademarks in connection with any product or service
9 that is not offered by us, and users are not granted any license or right
to use the Trademarks for commercial or any unauthorized purposes.
10
AXS Terms of Use, Limited License; Restrictions, https://www.axs.com/about-
11
terms-of-use_US_v1.html (Dec. 14, 2018) (last accessed November 6, 2023).
12
13 VI. DEFENDANTS’ INFRINGING AND ILLICIT
COUNTERFIETING OPERATIONS
14
52. This case relates to Defendants’ activities with respect to the marketing,
15
sale, and delivery of resale tickets in the secondary market for entertainment and
16
sporting event tickets.
17
53. Defendants operate online retail platforms and/or ticket delivery
18
services. As set forth herein, and on information and belief, they have marketed,
19
distributed, sold, displayed, and/or delivered counterfeit AXS tickets to consumers
20
for a variety of events in this judicial district and beyond. Further, IRS and ETC are
21
engaged in additional widespread trademark infringement and unfair competition in
22
addition to the counterfeit ticket schemes as set forth herein.
23
IRS and ETC Deliver Counterfeit AXS Digital Tickets to
24
Unsuspecting Consumers in Cooperation with Verified-
25 Ticket.com
26 54. Defendant IRS targets consumers by marketing, distributing, and selling
27 tickets to events in the Los Angeles area. For starters, shown below is IRS’s tickets-
28 center.com website showing that as of November 3, 2023, IRS was promoting and
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1 offering for sale tickets to several events in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 55. Similarly, Defendant ETC targets consumers by marketing, distributing,
21 and selling tickets to events in the Los Angeles area. Shown below is the
22 eventticketscenter.com website showing that as of November 3, 2023, ETC was
23 promoting and offering for sale tickets to several events in Los Angeles and the
24 surrounding areas:
25
26
27
28
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 56. IRS and ETC sell, facilitate, participate in, allow, deliver or are
15 otherwise complicit in counterfeit AXS tickets being sold through tickets-center.com
16 and eventticketscenter.com, respectively, to purchasers who are duped into believing
17 that the tickets are genuine. On information and belief, agents of IRS and ETC either
18 know of this rampant practice and have failed to stop it, or these agents are actively
19 involved in the process.
20 57. For its part in this operation, Verified-Ticket.com sells, facilitates,
21 participates in, allows, or is otherwise complicit in delivering counterfeit AXS tickets
22 to these unsuspecting consumers. On information and belief, this conduct is occurring
23 here within this judicial district and beyond.
24 58. As just one example of this fraudulent scheme, earlier this year, an
25 unsuspecting consumer by the name of “Nate” purchased a ticket from Defendant
26 IRS’s tickets-center.com to a Washington Wizards game set to be played on
27 February 16, 2023. He received the following email verification generated by
28 tickets-center.com informing him that he had purchased a ticket for this game in
-19-
1 69. Even if a genuine AXS ticket is sold on the IRS website, IRS would not
2 be responsible for the electronic delivery of that ticket in any way, shape, or form.
3 Instead, if the resale is of a genuine AXS ticket, the consumer who purchased the
4 ticket off of the IRS website would get an email from AXS instructing the consumer
5 to download the AXS App (or log into their AXS account) so that the ticket could be
6 delivered safely and securely using the AXS Mobile ID technology.
7 70. Attached hereto as Exhibit L is a true and correct copy of multiple
8 digital ticket transactions where tickets-center.com indicated it would charge a fee in
9 conjunction with the consumer taking delivery of the ticket via “Flash Seats” or
10 “AXS Mobile ID.”
11 71. IRS’s use of Plaintiff’s trademarks is likely to cause confusion,
12 deception, and mistake that will be exceedingly harmful to Plaintiff. For starters,
13 charging a “fee” for the supposed “Flash Seats” delivery method makes it look like
14 Plaintiff approves, sponsors, or otherwise endorses IRS and its commercial activity.
15 But Plaintiff does not approve, sponsor, other otherwise endorse IRS. In fact, Plaintiff
16 wants nothing to do with IRS because tickets-center.com has a horrible reputation in
17 the digital ticket sale and delivery industry.
18 72. For example, trustpilot.com is a third-party consumer review website. It
19 shows that Defendant IRS’s tickets-center.com business has an average 1.1 star
20 review from 387 consumers. 6 Indeed, 98% of reviewers have given tickets-
21 center.com a one star review and many have characterized tickets-center.com as a
22 “scam.” “Clowns,” “Gougers,” and “Thieves” are just a few of the choice epithets
23 that consumers use to describe tickets-center.com. Some examples of the reviews
24 are shown below:
25
26
27
6
A 1 star rating does not imply even a slight degree of satisfaction because in order
28
to leave a review, a consumer has to give at least a 1 star rating.
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13 Attached hereto as Exhibit M are true and correct copies of the reviews from
14 trustpilot.com.
15 73. Defendant IRS’s tickets-center.com has similarly racked up hundreds of
16 horrible reviews as depicted on the website curated by the Better Business Bureau
17 (“BBB”) website, bbb.org. Attached hereto as Exhibit N is a true and correct copy
18 of the BBB listing for tickets-center.com, showing that it is not accredited by the
19 BBB and showing numerous aggrieved reviewers. Descriptive terms like “Trash,”
20 “Scam,” and “Absurd” are routinely used by reviewers. According to the BBB’s
21 website, in just the last three years alone there have been approximately 3,416
22 complaints lodged with the BBB about tickets-center.com. Just some of the examples
23 of the reviews are reproduced below:
24
25
26
27
28
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1
2
3
4
5 74. These illicit acts are causing and are likely to cause significant damages
6 and harm to Plaintiff’s reputation. They are also causing and are likely to cause
7 significant harm to consumers as well.
8 ETC’s Independent Acts of Infringement and Unfair
Competition
9
75. Defendant ETC is likewise engaged in independent acts of trademark
10
infringement and unfair competition, separate and apart from the fraudulent fake
11
ticket scheme detailed above. As noted earlier, Defendant ETC advertises for sale
12
numerous digital tickets for concerts and other Los Angeles-based events on
13
eventticketscenter.com. In advertising and promoting many of these events,
14
eventticketscenter.com notes that the delivery method for these tickets will be
15
accomplished by “Flash Seats.”
16
76. Defendant ETC charges consumers “service and delivery fees.” While
17
eventticketscenter.com does not display an itemized list of such fees to consumers,
18
on information and belief, Defendant ETC is charging consumers a “delivery fee” of
19
unknown amount for the delivery of tickets using Flash Seats. For example, below
20
is a screenshot showing that for an $85 dollar ticket delivered via Flash Seats for a
21
hockey match in Los Angeles, a consumer would be charged a total of “$120.45
22
which includes tickets, service, and delivery fees” (emphasis supplied).
23
24
25
26
27
28
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1 charging a “delivery fee” for the supposed “Flash Seats” delivery method makes it
2 look like Plaintiff approves, sponsors, or otherwise endorses ETC and its commercial
3 activity. But Plaintiff does not approve, sponsor, other otherwise endorse ETC. In
4 fact, Plaintiff wants nothing to do with ETC because—just like IRS—ETC has a
5 horrible reputation in the digital ticket sale and delivery industry.
6 80. For example, ETC and its eventticketscenter.com website have
7 hundreds of negative reviews on the BBB website, resulting in a total rating of 1.15
8 out of 5 stars. Attached hereto as Exhibit O is a true and correct copy of the BBB
9 listing for ETC, showing that it has numerous reviews calling the website a “Scam”
10 and noting its “fraudulent” activity. Below are just some of the negative reviews:
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20 81. Defendant ETC’s conduct is causing and is likely to cause significant
21 damages and harm to Plaintiff’s reputation. It is causing and is likely to cause

23 Amosa.app is Selling and Distributing Counterfeit AXS
Tickets in this Judicial District
24
82. For its part, Amosa.app (and the individual(s) behind it) are engaged in
25
a similar scheme to create and/or sell and distribute counterfeit AXS digital tickets
26
in this judicial district and beyond. As an initial matter, and as referenced above,
27
amosa.app is a domain name registered through the domain name registrar, Dynadot,
28
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1 LLC. “axs.amosa.app” is a “subdomain” where “axs” was added by the individual

2 or individuals operating the amosa.app domain. Including axs as a subdomain makes
3 it appear to consumers that they have purchased genuine AXS tickets when, in reality,
4 they have not.
5 83. On or about March 30, 2022, a representative from the LA Clippers box
6 office contacted AXS to inform them of a consumer who had received “fraudulent
7 tickets” to an LA Clippers v. Utah Jazz game in Los Angeles. The tickets appeared
8 to be authentic AXS digital tickets; however, when the LA Clippers box office
9 scanned the QR code, the seat numbers shown in the system did not match the seat
10 numbers shown on the tickets. The purchaser of the tickets was denied entry because
11 the ticket information did not match and because the purchaser showed the QR code
12 associated with the tickets to the box office on a website rather than in the AXS App.
13 Below is an image of the website that hosted the counterfeit tickets, showing that it
14 is Defendant Amosa’s amosa.app website:
15
16
17
18 84. As another example, on or about November 8, 2022, a consumer was
19 attending the LA Kings v. Minnesota Wild game at Crypto.com Arena in Los
20 Angeles. The consumer purchased three tickets from a third party retail platform and
21 received what appeared to be authentic AXS digital tickets. However, the digital
22 tickets did not appear in the AXS App or in the LA Kings app. Rather the consumer
23 received the tickets from the Defendant Amosa.app platform and presented the
24 tickets to security at Cypto.com Arena through a web-browser. The venue was unable
25 to authenticate that the consumer was the rightful owner of the tickets. Below is an
26 image of the consumer’s phone, showing the counterfeit tickets, which look exactly
27 like authentic AXS digital tickets. The second image on the right is a close up of that
28 same phone photograph showing that the tickets were delivered and presented
-29-
1 tickets and consumers are likely to believe that Amosa is associated with, sponsored
2 by, or affiliated with AXS and Amosa’s use of the AXS Marks in its subdomain
3 “axs.amosa.app” makes it look like Plaintiff approves, sponsors, or otherwise
4 endorses Amosa.app and its commercial activity. Plaintiff does not approve, sponsor,
5 or otherwise endorse Amosa.
9 Secure.Tickets is Selling and Distributing Counterfeit AXS
Tickets in this Judicial District
10
89. Like Amosa, Defendant Secure.Tickets (and the individual(s) behind it)
11
is engaged in a scheme to create and/or sell and distribute counterfeit AXS digital
12
tickets in this judicial district and beyond.
13
90. On or about October 19, 2023, a consumer attending the Denver
14
Nuggets v. LA Clippers game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles presented what
15
appeared to be an AXS digital ticket to representatives at the box office when entering
16
the Arena. However, the digital ticket did not appear in the AXS App. Rather, the
17
consumer presented the ticket through a web-browser associated with the domain
18
name secure.tickets. The digital ticket had the elements of a genuine AXS digital
19
ticket, including the trademark AXS Mobile ID, the AXS watermark, and the deep
20
purple backdrop. The ticket even had a rotating QR code, although it showed a
21
different seat location and amount when scanned by representatives at the box office.
22
Below is an image of the consumer’s phone screen, showing the counterfeit ticket,
23
and a close up of the same phone screen showing that the ticket was delivered and
24
presented through the domain name associated with Defendant Secure.Tickets:
25
26
27
28
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1 associated with, sponsored by, or affiliated with AXS. Plaintiff does not approve,
2 sponsor, or otherwise endorse Secure.Tickets.
6 VII. CAUSES OF ACTION
7 First Cause of Action (All Defendants)
8 Copyright Infringement Under 17 U.S.C. § 101, et seq.
9 95. Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates all of the allegations set forth in the
10 preceding paragraphs as if fully set forth herein.
11 96. Plaintiff’s AXS App, including its source code and user interface and
12 all protectable screen displays generated by the source code including digital tickets,
13 constitutes an original work of authorship and copyrightable subjected matter under
14 the laws of the United States.
15 97. Plaintiff’s Copyright Registration No. TX0009296416, relating to the
16 iOS version of the AXS App, is valid and in full force and effect.
17 98. Plaintiff’s Copyright Registration No. TX0009300435, relating to the
18 Android version of the AXS App, is valid and in full force and effect.
19 99. Plaintiff is the owner of all exclusive rights in and to the AXS App
20 Copyrights and the Copyright Registrations are prima facie evidence of validity.
21 100. On information and belief, Defendants have downloaded or accessed the
22 AXS App and bypassed security and access control measures
23
24 to decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise
25 modify and copy data stored or transmitted by the AXS App to create lookalike
26 websites.
27 101. Defendants have copied, created derivative works of, and/or distributed
28 copies to consumers, and publicly displayed Plaintiff’s protected works, all without
-33-
1 Plaintiff’s authority or consent.

2 102. On information and belief, Defendants’ actions were and are intentional,
3 willful, wanton, and/or performed in complete disregard of Plaintiff’s rights.
4 103. These actions constitute infringement of Plaintiff’s exclusive rights in
5 violation of the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. §§ 106 and 501.
6 104. Plaintiff is entitled to preliminary and permanent injunctive relief
7 pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 502. Plaintiff has no adequate remedy at law for this
8 wrongful conduct because Plaintiff’s copyrights in the AXS App are unique and
9 valuable property without a readily determinable market value. Thus, continued and
10 repeated infringement harms Plaintiff such that Plaintiff cannot be made whole with
11 a monetary award, and this wrongful conduct, and the consequential damages to
12 Plaintiff, is continuing.
13 105. Plaintiff has been and will continue to be damaged by the wrongful
14 infringement of Plaintiff’s copyrights, and Defendants have been and continue to be
15 unjustly enriched in an amount to be proven at trial.
16 106. Plaintiff is entitled to recover all available damages authorized under the
17 Copyright Act.
18 Second Cause of Action (All Defendants)
19 Violation of Digital Millennium Copyright Act Under 17 U.S.C. § 1201
22 108. Plaintiff’s AXS App, including its source code and user interface and
23 all screen displays generated by the source code including digital tickets, constitutes
24 an original work of authorship and copyrightable subject matter under the laws of the
25 United States. The AXS App is covered by Copyright Registration No.
26 TX0009296416 and Copyright Registration No. TX0009300435.
27 109. Plaintiff employs technological security measures and other access
28 controls to protect and control access to and restrict use of copyrighted protected
-34-
1 elements of the AXS App.

2 110. On information and belief, Defendants circumvented or bypassed
3 Plaintiff’s access controls to knowingly and intentionally gain unauthorized access
4 to copyright protected elements of the AXS App to decompile, reverse engineer,
5 disassemble or otherwise modify and copy data stored or transmitted by the AXS
6 App. On information and belief, Defendants used the information obtained through
7 this circumvention to create, offer for sale, sell, display, and/or distribute counterfeit
8 AXS tickets.
9 111. The circumvention of the technological security and access control
10 measures Plaintiff uses to control access to a work or works protected by copyright
11 is in violation of 17 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
12 112. Plaintiff has been and will continue to be damaged by Defendants’
13 conduct in an amount to be proven at trial.
14 113. Plaintiff is entitled to the relief provided by 17 U.S.C. § 1203, including
15 but not limited to injunctive relief, actual, and/or statutory damages, and attorneys’
16 fees.
17 114. This improper conduct as will cause further irreparable injury to
18 Plaintiff if Defendants are not restrained by this Court. Plaintiff is entitled to
19 preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and Plaintiff’s remedies at law are
20 inadequate to compensate for this harm.
21 Third Cause of Action (All Defendants)
22 Trademark Counterfeiting Under 15 U.S.C. § 1114, et seq.
25 116. Plaintiff owns the AXS Registrations covering the AXS Marks, which
26 are valid and in full force and effect. Plaintiff is the owner of all rights, title, and
27 interests in the AXS Registrations.
28 117. Without Plaintiff’s authorization or consent, Defendants have used the
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1 AXS Marks in U.S. commerce to market, promote, offer for sale, sell and distribute
2 counterfeit AXS tickets. Defendants intentionally reproduced, copied, and/or
3 colorably imitated the AXS Marks and/or used designations that are identical to, or
4 substantially indistinguishable from the AXS Marks on or in connection with the
5 counterfeit tickets.
6 118. Defendants have advertised, promoted, offered for sale, sold, displayed
7 and/or distributed counterfeit AXS tickets to consumers in or affecting interstate
8 commerce, and/or have acted with reckless disregard of Plaintiff’s rights in and to
9 the AXS Marks through their participation in such activities.
10 119. Defendants’ unauthorized use of the AXS Marks is likely to cause
11 confusion, deception or mistake in the marketplace because consumers are likely to
12 believe there is a connection, affiliation, or sponsorship between Plaintiff and
13 Defendants. Defendants’ actions constitute willful counterfeiting of the AXS Marks
14 in violation of 15 U.S.C. §§ 1114(1)(a)-(b), 1116(d), and 1117(b)-(c).
15 120. As a direct and proximate cause of Defendants’ conduct, Plaintiff has
16 suffered and will continue to suffer loss of income, profits, and goodwill, and
17 Defendants will continue to unfairly acquire income, profits, and goodwill.
18 121. Defendants’ conduct will cause further irreparable injury to Plaintiff if
19 Defendants are not restrained by this Court. Plaintiff is entitled to preliminary and
20 permanent injunctive relief and Plaintiff’s remedies at law are inadequate to
21 compensate for this harm.
22 Fourth Cause of Action (All Defendants)
23 Trademark Infringement Under 15 U.S.C. § 1114, et seq.
26 123. Plaintiff owns the AXS Registrations covering the AXS Marks, which
27 are valid and in full force and effect. Plaintiff is the owner of all right, title, and
28 interest in and to the AXS Registrations.
-36-
1 124. Defendants have used the AXS Marks in U.S. commerce to market,
2 promote, offer for sale, sell, and distribute tickets. Defendants’ unauthorized use of
3 the AXS Marks is likely to cause confusion, deception or mistake in the marketplace
4 because consumers are likely to believe there is a connection, affiliation, or
5 sponsorship between Plaintiff and Defendants.
6 125. Defendants’ conduct constitutes infringement of Plaintiff’s AXS
7 Registrations in violation of Section 32(1) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1114(1).
8 126. On information and belief, Defendants’ conduct has been willful and in
9 bad faith and Defendants have used the AXS Marks with the intention of misleading,
10 deceiving, or confusing consumers as to the origin of their goods and for the purpose
11 of trading on Plaintiff’s reputation and goodwill.
19 Fifth Cause of Action (All Defendants)
20 Unfair Competition and False Designation of Origin
21 Under 15 U.S.C. § 1125, et seq.
24 130. Plaintiff has adopted and used the AXS Marks in U.S. commerce, which
25 consumers have come to associate exclusively with Plaintiff. Plaintiff is the owner
26 of all right, title, and interest in and to the AXS Marks. The AXS Marks are non-
27 functional.
28 131. Defendants have used the AXS Marks in U.S. commerce to market,
-37-
1 promote, offer for sale, sell and distribute tickets. Defendants’ unauthorized use of
2 the AXS Marks is likely to cause confusion, deception or mistake in the marketplace
3 because consumers are likely to believe there is a connection, affiliation, or
4 sponsorship between Plaintiff and Defendants.
5 132. Defendants’ conduct constitutes federal unfair competition and false
6 designation of origin in violation of Section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C.
7 § 1125(a).
8 133. On information and belief, Defendants’ conduct has been willful and in
9 bad faith and Defendants have used the AXS Marks with the intention of misleading,
10 deceiving, or confusing consumers as to the origin of their goods and for the purpose
11 of trading on Plaintiff’s reputation and goodwill.
19 Sixth Cause of Action (All Defendants)
20 State Statutory Unfair Competition
21 Under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200, et seq.
26 of all rights, title, and interest in the AXS Marks. The AXS Marks are non-functional.
27 138. On information and belief, Defendants have intentionally appropriated
28 the AXS Marks with the intent of causing confusion, mistake, and deception as to the
-38-
1 source of their goods and services with the intent to pass off their goods and services
2 as those of Plaintiff.
3 139. Defendants’ conduct in connection with the offer for sale, sale, and
4 advertisement of tickets has violated the unfair competition laws of the State of
5 California, specifically Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200 et seq.
6 140. On information and belief, Defendants’ conduct is willful, intentional,
7 malicious, and in bad faith.
9 been and will continue to be irreparably harmed and damaged. Plaintiff’s remedies
10 at law are inadequate to compensate for this harm.
11 Seventh Cause of Action (All Defendants)
12 Common Law False Designation of Origin & Unfair Competition
17 of all rights, title, and interest in the AXS Marks.
18 144. Defendants are promoting, advertising, selling, and distributing goods
19 and services under the AXS Marks, in violation of California’s common law of unfair
20 competition.
21 145. Defendants’ unauthorized use of the AXS Marks for goods and services
22 competing with Plaintiff’s goods and services is likely to cause confusion, deception,
23 or mistake in the marketplace as to the source or sponsorship of Defendants goods
24 and services.
27 147. As a direct and proximate result of Defendants’ conduct, Plaintiff has
28 suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable loss of income, profits, and good will,
-39-
1 and Defendants will continue to unfairly acquire income, profits, and goodwill. As
2 a direct and proximate cause of Defendants’ conduct, Plaintiff has been and will
3 continue to be irreparably harmed and damaged. Plaintiff’s remedies at law are
4 inadequate to compensate for this harm.
6 Defendants are not restrained by this Court from further violation of Plaintiff’s rights.
7 Eighth Cause of Action
8 (Against Defendants IRS, ETC and Verified-Ticket.com)
9 Civil Conspiracy
12 150. Plaintiff alleges that Defendants IRS and Verified-Ticket.com formed a
13 plan to promote, offer for sale, sell, display, and distribute counterfeit tickets using
14 the AXS Marks and protected elements of the AXS App.
15 151. On information and belief, Defendants IRS and Verified-Ticket.com
16 agreed to the plan and were aware that each other planned to participate in the plan
17 and that the plan was unlawful and fraudulent.
18 152. Plaintiff alleges that Defendants ETC and Verified-Ticket.com formed
19 a plan to promote, offer for sale, sell, display, and distribute counterfeit tickets using
20 the AXS Marks and protected elements of the AXS App.
21 153. On information and belief, Defendants ETC and Verified-Ticket.com
22 agreed to the plan and were aware that each other planned to participate in the plan
23 and that the plan was unlawful and fraudulent.
24 154. As a result of this conspiracy, Plaintiff has been harmed because, among
25 other things, Defendants have derived sales, revenues, and other benefits from their
26 promotion, offering for sale, selling, display and distribution of counterfeit tickets,
27 all at Plaintiff’s economic and reputational expense.
-40-

3 Defendants are not restrained by this Court from further violation of Plaintiff’s rights.
4 Ninth Cause of Action (All Defendants)
5 Breach of Contract
8 158. Plaintiff’s Terms of Use is a valid and enforceable contract. On
9 information and belief, Defendants used the AXS Platform and/or downloaded the
10 AXS App.
11 159. Plaintiff’s Terms of Use provide notice that Plaintiff’s “Mobile App is
12 protected by copyright” and that it or its contents “may not be sold, redistributed,
13 copied, made available to the public, or part of a derivative work created by you
14 without the express written consent of AXS” and that users “may not attempt to
15 decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise modify the Mobile App, or in
16 any way compromise the security of data stores or transmitted by [AXS’s] Mobile
17 App.”
18 160. Defendants agreed to Plaintiff’s Terms of Use by using the AXS
19 Platform and/or using, accessing, or downloading the AXS App.
20 161. Defendants have breached the Terms of Use by copying, mimicking,
21 emulating, creating derivative works of, distributing copies to consumers, and
22 publicly displaying Plaintiff’s protected works, all without Plaintiff’s authority or
23 consent.
24 162. Defendants have breached the Terms of Use by circumventing or
25 bypassing Plaintiff’s access controls to knowingly and intentionally gain
26 unauthorized access to copyright protected elements of the AXS App in order to
27 decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise modify and copy protected
28 elements of the AXS App.
-41-
1 163. Plaintiff’s Terms of Use also provides notice that “the trademarks,
2 logos, and service marks displayed on the Services (collectively the “Trademarks”)
3 are registered and unregistered trademarks owned by [AXS] or by our licensors,
4 service providers and or others that may have granted us permission to use such
5 Trademarks” and that users “may not use the Trademarks in connection with any
6 products or service that is not offered by [AXS], and users are not granted any license
7 or right to use the Trademarks for commercial or any unauthorized purposes.”
8 164. Defendants have breached the Terms of Use by using the AXS Marks
9 in U.S. commerce to market, promote, offer for sale, sell and distribute counterfeit
10 tickets without Plaintiff’s authorization or consent. Defendants intentionally
11 reproduced, copied, and/or colorably imitated the AXS Marks and/or used
12 designations that are identical to, or substantially indistinguishable from the AXS
13 Marks on or in connection with the counterfeit tickets.
16 166. As a result of Defendants’ breach, Plaintiff has suffered and continues
17 to suffer monetary and non-monetary injury and harm in an amount to be proven at
18 trial.
19 167. As a result of Defendants’ ongoing breach, Plaintiff has been injured
20 and faces irreparable harm. Plaintiff is threatened with losing its competitive
21 advantage, customers, and goodwill that would be impossible to fully compensate
22 unless Defendants are enjoined and restrained by order of this Court.
23 VIII. PRAYER FOR RELIEF
24 WHEREFORE, Plaintiff demands judgment and relief against Defendants and
25 respectfully requests that this Court:
26 1. Preliminarily and then permanently enjoin, restrain, and forbid
27 Defendants, their officers, agents, servants, employees, attorneys, successors or
28 assigns, and all persons or entities acting in concert or participation with any of them
-42-
1 from:
2 (a) copying, mimicking, emulating, creating derivative works from,
3 distributing copies of, offering for sale and/or publicly displaying any tickets
4 or other products that incorporate any portion of AXS’s copyright protected
5 works;
6 (b) imitating, copying, duplicating or otherwise making any use of the AXS
7 Marks, or any mark confusingly similar to the AXS Marks in any manner;
8 (c) using any false designation or origin or false description or representation
9 or any other thing calculated or likely to cause confusion, mistake, or deception
10 in the marketplace as to the source of Defendants’ goods and services or any
11 belief that Defendants’ goods and services are in any way associated with,
12 affiliated with, or related to AXS or AXS’s goods and services;
13 (d) engaging in any activity constituting unfair competition with AXS or with
14 AXS’s rights in, or to use, the AXS Marks;
15 (e) further using the AXS Marks, or confusingly similar variations thereof, in
16 or as a part of any advertising, marketing and/or media material, web page text,
17 social media platform, domain name, email, or other communication;
18 (f) accessing, decompiling, reverse engineering, disassembling or otherwise
19 modifying the AXS App;
20 (g) assisting, aiding or abetting another person, entity, or business in engaging
21 in or performing any of the activities enumerated above.
22 2. Direct Defendants to file with the Court and serve on counsel for AXS,
23 within thirty days after entry of any injunction issued by this Court, a sworn statement
24 as provided in 15 U.S.C. § 1116;
25 3. Award AXS a money judgment, granting compensatory relief for
26 Defendants’ willful copyright infringement, the precise amount to be proven at trial.
28 Defendants’ willful violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, including
-43-
1 either actual damages, or statutory damages as provided for pursuant to 17 U.S.C.

2 § 1203.
4 Defendants’ willful trademark counterfeiting, the precise amount to be proven at trial,
5 or in the alternative, statutory damages as permitted by 15 U.S.C. § 1117(c), against
6 each Defendant in an amount of $2,000,000 per counterfeit mark per type of goods
7 or services sold;
8 6. Direct Defendants to account to AXS for its profits arising from the
9 conduct complained of herein, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1117(a);
10 7. Award AXS its actual damages incurred as a consequence of
11 Defendants’ conduct as described herein, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 1117(a), 15 U.S.C.
12 § 1125(a), and California law;
13 8. Award AXS its reasonable attorneys’ fees and taxable costs and
14 disbursements of this action, pursuant to the Lanham Act, the Copyright Act, and the
15 inherent authority of the Court;
16 9. Award AXS trebled damages as provided for under the Lanham Act;
17 10. An order finding that Defendants IRS, ETC and Verified-Ticket.com
18 engaged in a conspiracy and are jointly and severally liable for any and all remedies
19 granted by this Court;
20 11. Award AXS prejudgment interest at the rate provided for under
21 California law as applicable; and
22 12. Award AXS such other and further relief as the Court deems just and
23 equitable.
24 IX. JURY DEMAND
25 AXS demands that all claims or causes of action raised in this Complaint be
26 tried to a jury to the fullest extent possible under the United States Constitution.
27
28
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1
Dated: January 16, 2024 DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP
2
3 By: /s/ J. Michael Keyes______
J. Michael Keyes (SBN 262281)
4 [email protected]
Connor J. Hansen (pro hac vice)
5 [email protected]
Columbia Center
6 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 6100
Seattle, WA
7 Telephone: 206.903.8800
Facsimile: 206.903.8820
8
DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP
9 Kent J. Schmidt (SBN 195969)
[email protected]
10 600 Anton Boulevard, Suite 200
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
11 Telephone: 714.800.1400
Facsimile: 714.800.1499
12
Attorneys for Plaintiff AXS Group LLC
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-45-
1 VERIFICATION
2 I, Alex Hazboun, declare as follows:
3 1. I am the Chief Technology Officer for Plaintiff AXS Group LLC
4 ("AXS"). I have reviewed the foregoing Verified Complaint and verify that the
5 statements made therein are true and correct to the best of my knowledge,
6 information, and belief.
7 2. I have personal knowledge of AXS, AXS's activities, AXS's copyright
8 and trademark rights, and AXS's interactions with Defendants, including those set
9 forth out in the foregoing Verified Complaint, and if called to testify, I would testify
10 as to the matters stated therein.
11 3. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, I declare under penalty of perjury under
12 the laws of the United States that the foregoing factual statements in the Verified
13 Complaint about myself, AXS, AXS's activities, AXS's copyright and trademark
14 rights, and AXS's interactions with Defendants are true and correct factual
15 statements.
16
17 Executed on December .12., 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
18
19 .A/ex h
20 Alex Hazboun
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-46-
VERIFIED COMPLAINT

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Case 2:24-cv-00377-SPG-E Document 1 Filed 01/16/24 Page 1 of 46 Page ID #:1

1 DORSEY & WHITNEY LLP

1 AXS tickets, distributed by Defendants through unaffiliated websites or emails are

1 wanton and oppressive conduct.

1 Verified-Ticket.com and the contact information provided is a proxy called “Contact

1 AXS Mobile ID Technology (Formerly Known as “Flash

1 5,954,081 AXS 35: Business research and data analysis services in

1 Certificates of Registration are collectively referred to herein as the “AXS App

1 AXS Terms of Use, Permitted Use of Mobile Application,

21 damages and harm to Plaintiff’s reputation. It is causing and is likely to cause

1 LLC. “axs.amosa.app” is a “subdomain” where “axs” was added by the individual

1 Plaintiff’s authority or consent.

1 elements of the AXS App.

1 malicious, and in bad faith.

1 either actual damages, or statutory damages as provided for pursuant to 17 U.S.C.

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