BOSTON — In an unexpected turn of events, Mile High Media has settled the years-long lawsuit with a Martha’s Vineyard landlord who sued the studio and several associates for a 2014 incident involving artwork in her rental property which she claimed could be seen onscreen in several adult videos.

“Friday’s report of a settlement and subsequent dismissal by U.S. District Judge Patti Saris comes one day after homeowner Leah Bassett and her counsel appeared for their third trip through mediation,” legal news site Law360 reported this afternoon. “The mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler, said in a Friday docket entry that the case has settled and the parties requested 60 days to complete the agreement.”

Judge Saris, the report continued, “filed a dismissal order within minutes of Judge Bowler’s report.”

The case is on file as “Bassett v. Jensen et al., case number 1:18-cv-10576,” in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

For XBIZ’s ongoing coverage of the “Martha’s Vineyard Background Art” case, click here.

WASHINGTON — A new Section 230-eroding bill, the “Health Misinformation Act” (HMA) was introduced yesterday by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to create liability for platforms which allow third-party content that is deemed to spread “misinformation” about an “existing public health emergency.”

Klobuchar’s HMA, co-sponsored by Sen. Ray Luján (D-NM), would “create an exception to the landmark internet law Section 230, which has always shielded tech companies like Facebook, Google and Twitter from being sued over almost any of the content people post on their platforms,” Recode — the tech vertical for news site Vox — reported.

“Klobuchar’s bill would change that,” Recode continued, “but only when a social media platform’s algorithm promotes health misinformation related to an ‘existing public health emergency.’ The legislation tasks the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to define health misinformation in these scenarios.”

This specific Section 230 carveout would be the first major exception to Section 230 immunity since the 2018 passage of FOSTA-SESTA, which created liability around supposed instances of “human trafficking.”

However, in the HMA case, “the law wouldn’t apply in cases where a platform shows people posts using a “neutral mechanism,” like a social media feed that ranks posts chronologically, rather than algorithmically,’ Vox reports.

Last week, President Joe Biden made some confusing statements stating that Facebook was “killing people” for allowing “misinformation” about the COVID-19 pandemic, inciting legislators to activate projects to reform or repeal Section 230.

As XBIZ reported, several Free Speech and First Amendment organizations criticized Biden for those statements, with the ACLU tweeting, “No matter which party is in power, the government cannot be trusted to label ‘truth’ or ‘fiction’ any more than Facebook or Twitter can.”

Main Image: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Samia Burton, founder of Sexual Essentials, has announced The Art XXXhibit, described as an “explosive evening of erotic escapades for adventurous adults,” for August 14 at Treehouse Studios in downtown Atlanta.

The Art XXXhibit is hosted by media personalities Medinah and Tahoe TV, and will treat guests to the featured works of artists Justin Lewis of Crea8tive Soul and James Lewis of Noire 3000 Studios, plus Jet Setting Jasmine, King Noire, King Heff, Nicole and Dash.

“The magical masquerade affair — where performers, artists and like-minded creatives get together to explore their sensual selves — will feature a live erotic art show with the biggest names in S.E.X. and seduction taking center stage, as well as live music performances, demonstrations and, most importantly, an open bar,” a rep explained.

Burton invited attendees to “step into our world for a night you will never forget at The Art XXXhibit, curated especially for those looking for an intimate space to truly submerge themselves in learning and being open in a safe and discreet environment.”

“It’s about creating that orgasmic and contagious energy to add spice to your own sex life while also appreciating the beauty of the body, mind and spirit,” Burton added. “The Art XXXhibit will cater to your every whim, while romancing you and bringing you to your ultimate climax.”

To learn more, visit the Sexual Essentials website.

CHICAGO — The Dungeon Store and Split Peaches will mark World BDSM Day Saturday with a weekend-long sale beginning at 12 a.m. Saturday and running through 11:59 p.m. Sunday. The promo code “BDSMDAY2021” will unlock a 20% discount at checkout.

“The event’s origins begin with club Rosas Cinco in Spain, where the BDSM club owner proclaimed July 24, 2003 as ‘World BDSM Day.’ The date [derives] from ’24/7′ in salute to 24/7 Dominant/submissive relationships in kink. The intent is to create awareness of safe and consensual BDSM and is a great reason to celebrate and get kinky,” a rep explained.

Dungeon Store Founder Anne Bryne said “BDSMDAY2021” is “your ticket to 48 hours of savings on violet wands, hand-crafted whips, vegan-friendly bondage gear, great books on BDSM relationships and fantastic floggers in many colors.”

“And we didn’t forget our sister store Split Peaches, with platinum-grade, body-safe silicone sex toys,” she added.

Brand Manager Brittany Wilson will mark the occasion with an appearance on “The Rocket Review” podcast Saturday at 10 a.m. (PDT); find the broadcast on YouTube.

Visit SplitPeaches.com and TheDungeonStore.com for product details.

LOS ANGELES — Ads for adult website 5 Star HD Porn reportedly started to appear on recent stories posted online by several mainstream news outlets, replacing video content by a defunct non-adult tube site called Vidme.

First reported by Vice yesterday, after being flagged by Twitter user dox_gay, the explicit ads featuring “hardcore porn” were “embedded on the pages of the Huffington Post, New York magazine, the Washington Post and a host of other websites,” following the purchase by 5 Star Porn HD of “the domain for Vidme, a brief YouTube competitor founded in 2014 and shuttered in 2017.”

“Seemingly any Vid.me embeds now redirect to the 5 Star HD Porn homepage,” Vice continued. “The site Vid.me also redirects there.”

By yesterday afternoon, CNET reported that the Washington Post and Huffington Post had started cleaning up this instance of “link rot or content drift.”

“We are in the process of permanently removing this content whenever it appears,” a spokesperson for the Huffington Post told CNET.

According to Gizmodo, “it’s not 100% clear what caused the videos to become embedded in the sites. One theory is that all embedded Vidme videos displayed the homepage of 5 Star HD, rather than the original videos. This, in turn, resulted in totally not-porn websites suddenly displaying people having sex.”

Gizmodo also theorized the misplaced ads “could also just be a marketing stunt” by 5 Star HD Porn.

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — M.D. Science Lab, makers of the Swiss Navy brand, reports a successful unveiling of its newest products at the recently concluded virtual ANME/XBIZ Show.

“As with the January show, this most recent worldwide virtual expo provided manufacturers and industry buyers a convenient place to meet and discuss new products,” noted a rep.

“Swiss Navy’s 4-in-1 Playful Flavors collection celebrated the addition of a new flavor, Salted Caramel Delight,” the rep continued. “The delicious, multi-use flavored lubricants have been bestsellers since their release earlier this year, and this new flavor immediately became a favorite.”

VP of Sales and Marketing Briana Watkins noted how Playful Flavors “help inspire confidence and comfortability for consumers, and we wanted to expand this popular collection.”

“As always, we used our American-made, FDA-regulated formulas that buyers have come to trust and then used a Fortune 500 food company to create a delicious new flavor that encourages playfulness and exploration,” she added, noting that Salted Caramel was also added to the Swiss Navy Flavored Lubricants line.

An “entirely new” product — a Premium Jelly Lubricant — also made its debut during ANME/XBIZ.

“Buyers were universally excited with this product,” said Watkins. “Swiss Navy is known for creating the best lubricants on the market and we wanted to add something entirely new to our brand — a premium jelly lubricant. This ultra-thick, non-greasy formula stays exactly where it’s placed and adds extra comfort to sexual activities.”

Shipping for all three new products, in multiple sizes, is planned for 60-90 days from the close of ANME/XBIZ. Buyers are encouraged to contact their preferred Swiss Navy rep about pre-orders.

“Even though we weren’t able to launch our newest products in person, the responses we received from everyone was overwhelmingly positive,” M.D. Science Lab CEO Ralph Albrecht said. “I’m proud of our entire Swiss Navy family for creating our newest innovations. When we all support each other, magic can definitely happen.”

Visit Swiss Navy online and on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES — Pineapple Support has announced that it has now connected over 5,000 adult performers to mental health services globally.

“This is a significant milestone that we’ve reached as an organization,” said Pineapple Support founder, Leya Tanit. “When I began as an adult performer, sex-positive and stigma-free support for mental health was extremely rare and difficult to find. In the past three years, we worked hard to change that. We still have a long road ahead, but I’m hopeful we’ve begun to make a difference.”

Tanit founded Pineapple Support in 2018, after losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a 501(c)(3) in the United States and a registered charity in the UK, connects adult workers to mental health services, including free and low-cost, therapy, counseling and emotional support.

“Without the generosity and dedication of our partners, supporters, sponsors, therapists and staff, we would not have been able to connect so many workers with mental health services and support,” said Tanit. “Most importantly, I’d like to thank everyone who has trusted in the services that Pineapple Support provides. Your health and happiness is what drives us to ensure that no one in our industry has to suffer alone.”

For more information and to become a member of Pineapples United, visit their website.

Business that would like to become an official sponsor of Pineapple Support can view the available packages here.

LOS ANGELES — Leda Lotharia toplines “Orgasmic Anal Fuck Brat” for Evil Angel under the direction of LeWood. The vignette, available online, is also part of the recently released “Anal Brats 9.”

“Leda starts her scene with a sexy poolside tease, touching herself seductively. When she removes her rose-shaped butt plug, she’s already warmed up for Mark Wood’s hard dick,” noted a rep. “Leda gives Mark a sloppy, deep-throat blowjob, but it’s really anal that she craves.”

The starlet enthused about her experience.

“Getting to work with Mark Wood and [co-director] Francesca Le is truly a dream come true,” she said. “Their scenes always got me off, so imagine how hard I came working with them. I can’t wait for my fans to see this.”

Visit EvilAngel.com for a preview; click here for box art and additional details about “Anal Brats 9.” Follow Evil Angel on Twitter.

ATMLA represents Leda Lotharia; follow her on Twitter.