Jump to content

Flava Works

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 74.1.250.40 (talk) at 01:43, 12 March 2009 (Undid revision 276592502 by GBataille (talk)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Flava Works, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryGay pornography
Founded1999
HeadquartersUnited States Miami, Florida, United States
ProductsPornographic films, magazines, and Internet services
Websitehttp://www.flavaworks.com/

Flava Works, Inc. headquartered in Miami, Florida with a satellite office in Chicago, Illinois is a company that produces gay media featuring black and Latino ethnic men.

Company Overview

Flava Works, Inc. was founded in 1999 and is owned and operated by CEO, Phillip Bleicher. It began with its “CocoBoyz" website showcasing African-American men in nude and erotic photos and videos. In 2000, Flava Works started “Thugboy” and a year later expanded to the creation of the "CocoDorm." Flava Works also produces pornographic DVDs. Flava Works moved its operations to Miami, Florida in 2006 and continues to operate a satellite office in Chicago, Illinois. Flava Work’s titles are now available abroad in Europe through a distribution partnership with XY Studios. In January 2009, Flavaworks announced its production and distribution partnership with Rockafellaz Entertainment[1]

Products & Services

Flava Works, Inc. operates several websites offering pornographic images and videos to its patrons including Cocodorm.com, PapiCock.com, ThugBoy.com, CocoBoyz.com and FlavaMen.com. Thugsforsex.com is an online dating portal for black and Latin men. It also features a chat room with video chat capabilities to its users. The CocoDorm is a live, interactive residence where models are hired to live together in a dorm-like environment. The Miami Herald described the operation as follows: "CocoDorm offers its young, muscular males $1,200 a month along with free room and board while requiring they masturbate and have group sex in front of [web] cameras."[2] Flava Works produces a quarterly magazine publication, FlavaMen which showcases the Flava Works models and editorials from contributing writers.

The Chicago Controversy

In 2006, a report surfaced from the Chicago Department of Public Health who allegedly documented in the report that there was a high level of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, being transmitted among the models of the Cocodorm. Allegations were also made of CocoDorm models engaging in bareback sex. [3] However, the CocoDorm models do not engage in unprotected sex. Flava Works defended accusations contained in the report, stating them to be untrue. [4] The company announced its ongoing practices and initiatives to promote safe sex, both in its operations and in the community at large.[5] Some speculate and believe that this caused the relocation of the CocoDorm to it’s current location in Miami, FL.

Flava Works CEO, Phillip Bleicher posted this statement in the CocoDorm support blog, “We have been a "condom only" company since even before our move to Miami and the often cited "Raw Thugs" is a series that has long been discontinued. While the Chicago's Department of Health may sound damning, let us clarify that first of all, as sad as it is, these numbers are in line with national averages. Also, models that tested positive for a STDs were forbidden to participate in any sort of sexual group activity and were usually sent home. The discovery of the models applicant STD's status were the result of the application process, once the test results are known, the model is sent home and not permitted to work. We test our models and Chicago decided to punish us for it. The only reason the city knew about infections was because we voluntarily test. Models usually stay only 30 days at the dorm, but HIV can stay dormant for months. How can we be responsible for any of these infections? The Chicago report fails to mention that these infections are of people who are applying to be a CocoDorm model.” [6]

On May 8, 2007, NBC 6 aired a news investigation entitled, "The House Next Door." [7]

The investigation surfaced when neighbors and zoning authorities were sent anonymous, printed copies of the web pages, a DVD of a sex show and a fight that happened at the dorm, and, photos of the red brick home. [8]

In the documentary, models were shown half dressed behind windows, and these images were juxtaposed with those of children playing in the street and unsuspecting neighbors being interviewed. The Miami Department of Code Enforcement visited the residence on May 8, 2007 and imposed five citations. 1) Illegal rooming house. Flava Works states this is false due to them not charging any of its models for rent while residing in the CocoDorm residence. 2) Adult entertainment not permitted in C-1 zone property. Flava Works responded stating that they do not run an “Adult Entertainment” service on the property. 3) Failure to Maintain Exterior of Commercial or Residential Property. Flava Works reported to that the properties landscape is well maintained and cleaned. 4) Failure to maintain lot in safe, clean condition; not allowing accumulation of debris, trash or dense growth of grass. Flava Works states that the yard is in good condition.5) Illegally operating a business in a residential zone. Flava Works responded stating that they are not running a business at the property; all business and servers are off-site.

On August 13, 2007, and after "three acrimonious public meetings … in sessions going past midnight,[9] Miami's Code Enforcement Board ruled that Flava Works was "illegally running an adult entertainment business out of a single-family home … and ordered that those operations cease.[10]

However, Flava Works filed a lawsuit against the City of Miami in response to the verdict. They filed the lawsuit due to citing that the ruling invoked First Amendment rights and argued that it is not running an adult-oriented business out of the "House Next Door.” Flava Works also argues that business transactions do not place in a residential neighborhood in Miami, but rather in virtual space.[11] The case has attracted some interest in legal circles.[12]

Ruling on the case was made in January, 2009, when Judge Marcia G. Cooke of the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, ruled in favor of Flava Works. [13] She based her judgment on the precedent of a very similar case involving a heterosexual porn site, "Voyeur Dorm," operating webcams in a Tampa, Florida, residence. The judge ruling on the Voyeur Dorm case came to the conclusion that the residence provided no "offer[ing] [of adult entertainment] to members of the public." The offering occurs when the videotaped images are dispersed over the internet and into the public eye for consumption [14]

Judge Cooke agreed, writing on the Cocodorm: "Because the public offering by Flava Works, Inc. occurs via cocodorm.com in cyberspace, and not in a particular geographic location, the City of Miami zoning ordinance cannot be applied to the 503 residence.[15] Furthermore,

the servers necessary to transmit the live and recoded video feeds to subscribers are not housed in either the 503 residence or the North Miami avenue business office. Here, although the performers are paid to be at the residence and capture d on video, the processing and transmitting of the resulting images is done at a different location; a location not at issue in this case.[16]

Judge Cooke's decision was featured on NBC 6 on February 3, 2009, in a story entitled, "Porn House Can Stay." The report indicated that the City of Miami's intended to appeal the decision [17]

References

  1. ^ http://www.xbiz.com/news/104131 Flavaworks Announces Production Partnership with RocaFellaz
  2. ^ Michael Vasquez, "Miami fights to shutter house where online porn is filmed," The Miami Herald (August 14, 2008), p. A1.
  3. ^ See "Investigation of a Cluster of Syphilis and HIV Infections associated with an Internet Pornography Site—Chicago, 2006," Chicago Department of Public Health, STD|HIV|AIDS Chicago (Winter, 2006), pp. 1–2. Available online at http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_EDITORIAL/StdHivAidsChgoWinter06.pdf.
  4. ^ See Bejata.com for a response by the Cocodorm dated May 1, 2006.
  5. ^ Bejata.com contains the text of a press release dated June 27, 2006.
  6. ^ http://cocodorm.com/members/blog/blogs.php?op=Default&Date=200705&blogId=13 FlavaWorks CEO, Phillip Bleicher Response To Chicago Controversy
  7. ^ The investigation can be viewed on the NBC 6 website.
  8. ^ http://rodonline.typepad.com/rodonline/2009/02/cocodorm-wins-federal-lawsuit-xxx-shows-can-continue-at-miami-home.html CocoDorm Wins Federal Lawsuit, XXX Shows Continue at Miami Home
  9. ^ Cynthia Archbold, "The Best Little Sex Dorm in Miami …," [http://www.miamisunpost.com/0816cocodorm.htm The Miami SunPost (August 16, 2007).
  10. ^ Laura Morales, "Miami Code Enforcement: Porn house illegal, city rules," The Miami Herald (August 15, 2007), p. B1.
  11. ^ See Michael Vasquez, "Miami fights to shutter house where online porn is filmed," The Miami Herald (August 14, 2008), p. A1.
  12. ^ See Arthur S. Leonard, "Internet Porn Business Challenges Application of Local Adult Zoning Ordinance," Lesbian/Gay Law Notes (Summer, 2008), pp. 134–5.
  13. ^ See "Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment," United States District Court, Southern Distruct of Florida, Miami Division, Case No. 07-22370-CIV Cooke/Balestra.
  14. ^ Ibid., p. 6, quoted from Voyeur Dorm, L.C. v. City of Tampa, 265F.3d (11th Cir. 2001), 1236–7.
  15. ^ Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Partial Summary Judgment," pp. 9–10.
  16. ^ Ibid., p. 10.
  17. ^ The NBC 6 report can be viewed here: http://video.nbc6.net/player/?id=986581.

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Flava_Works&oldid=276652786"