Flava Works
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Gay media, Adult entertainment |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Phillip Bleicher |
| Headquarters | Miami , United States |
Area served | United States, Europe (via XY Studios partnership) |
Key people | Phillip Bleicher (CEO) |
| Products | Adult websites (Cocodorm.com, PapiCock.com, ThugBoy.com, CocoBoyz.com, FlavaMen.com), FlavaMen magazine |
Flava Works, Inc. operates as an independent enterprise focusing on gay media content that prominently features black and Latino men. The company is based in Miami, Florida and maintains an additional office location in Chicago, Illinois.
Overview
Established in 1999 by CEO Phillip Bleicher, Flava Works began with the launch of the "CocoBoyz" website, which presented nude and erotic imagery of African-American men. The brand expanded its portfolio with the introduction of "Thugboy" in 2000, followed by "CocoDorm" in 2001. In 2006, the headquarters relocated to Miami while the Chicago branch continued operations. Distribution in European markets is facilitated through a collaboration with XY Studios. In 2008, Flava Works contracted its first white male model under a five-year agreement and subsequently entered into production and distribution partnerships with RocaFellaz Entertainment and Black Rayne Productions. By 2009, the company secured its first exclusive white model.
Products and services
Flava Works manages several websites that provide adult images and videos, including Cocodorm.com, PapiCock.com, ThugBoy.com, CocoBoyz.com, and FlavaMen.com. The site Thugsforsex.com functions as a dating platform catering to black and Latino men, offering chat rooms equipped with video functionality. The CocoDorm serves as a live interactive residence where models cohabitate and perform for webcam audiences. Additionally, Flava Works produces FlavaMen, a quarterly publication featuring its models alongside editorial contributions.
Blatino Awards
In May 2009, Flava Works introduced the FlavaMen Blatino Awards to honor ethnic nightclubs, adult performers, and websites across various categories.
The Chicago controversy
In 2006, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported elevated incidences of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, among models associated with CocoDorm, alleging participation in unprotected sexual activities. Flava Works refuted these allegations.
The "House Next Door" controversy and its legal resolution
On May 8, 2007, NBC 6 broadcast an investigative report titled "The House Next Door," prompted by anonymous tips accompanied by videos and photographs depicting conduct at the CocoDorm residence. Miami’s Department of Code Enforcement issued five citations against Flava Works concerning zoning infractions and purported unauthorized business operations at the residential site. Flava Works challenged these claims, asserting that no rent was collected from models, no adult entertainment took place on the premises, and all business activities were conducted offsite.
Following several public hearings, Miami’s Code Enforcement Board determined in August 2007 that Flava Works was unlawfully operating an adult entertainment business within a single-family home and mandated cessation of such activities. Flava Works responded by filing a lawsuit citing First Amendment protections and emphasizing that commercial transactions occur online rather than at the physical location. The case attracted legal scrutiny due to its implications for zoning regulations and internet-based enterprises.
In January 2009, U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke ruled in favor of Flava Works, referencing precedent from a similar case involving Voyeur Dorm in Tampa. The judgment underscored that adult content is publicly provided via the internet rather than at the residence itself and noted that content servers were situated offsite. Judge Cooke concluded that Miami’s zoning laws did not apply to the CocoDorm property.
Despite media coverage highlighting this decision, Miami authorities appealed. In June 2010, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the ruling, stating that regardless of adult entertainment considerations, CocoDorm constituted a business operation prohibited within residential zones under Miami law. The court differentiated this matter from Voyeur Dorm by focusing on general restrictions related to business operations rather than ordinances specific to adult entertainment.
Flava Works Inc. v. Gunter
In 2010, Flava Works filed legal action against Gunter, the owner of myVidster.com, accusing him of infringing on their copyrights and trademarks. This lawsuit brought attention to the boundaries of safe harbour protections under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Initially, the court granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Flava Works, but this ruling was overturned by the United States Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on August 2, 2012.
Awards and recognition
- 2010 XBIZ Award Nominee for Gay Studio of the Year
See also
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- American gay pornographic film studios
- Ethnic pornography
- Hispanic and Latino American culture in Chicago
- Hispanic and Latino American culture in Florida
- African-American LGBTQ organizations
- LGBTQ culture in Chicago
- LGBTQ culture in Miami
- LGBTQ Hispanic and Latino American culture
- LGBTQ in Florida
- Pornography in Illinois
- Pornography in Florida
- Companies based in Chicago
- Companies based in Miami
- American companies established in 1999
- Entertainment companies established in 1999
- Mass media companies established in 1999
- 1999 establishments in Illinois
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment