August 16, 2007 | The Biz

Cocodorm kicked to the curb

According to the Miami Herald, the Miami Code Enforcement Board has ruled against Phillip Bleicher's Flava Works, which owns Cocodorm.com, for "illegally running an adult entertainment business out of a single-family home." The house in question is only zoned for residential use, meaning no hanky-panky can be filmed nor broadcast from the location for money-making purposes.

Flava Works attorney, James Benjamin, had argued that Voyeurdorm.com -- a site focussing on women -- was found not guilty in Tampa for similar charges. He also contended that because no actual business transaction ever takes place in the home, it was not subject to the regulations governing sales and distribution. However, these arguments were not enough to convince the board.

''Miami's adult entertainment ordinance encompasses Internet activity in a way the Tampa ordinance did not,'' argued board member Oscar Rodriguez Fonts.

The fight is only just beginning, Benjamin told the Herald. "We're not going to put our tail between our legs and go away. The activity is protected by the First Amendment."

Hmm, but isn't that exactly what they did when the City of Chicago went after them last year?