I have a bad feeling about this.My homage to my favorite films of all time (Eps. I - VI) aside, I think
soon-to-take-effect Title 18, Section 2257 laws will hold up in court. Despite feeling by many adult webmasters that law is oppressive, unconstitutional, and merely another ploy by government to harass adult industry.
If you don’t know, current statute Title 18 U.S.C. §2257 - in a nutshell - requires that primary producers of pornographic material (those studios and production companies who actually hire adult talent and film them, and also those entities who run affiliate programs and provide content for resale by porn webmasters) keep detailed and accurate records of all models depicted in an adult manner (read, either nudity or sexual activity is involved). These records should ascertain, most importantly but not solely, that adult performer is indeed old enough to perform adult work. Up till now, like I said, onus to retain those records rested only with primary producers.
Enter late June, 2005: this statute shall extend to secondary producers, as well. That is, it will soon become incumbent on all porn webmasters to keep such records.
Porn, by its very nature, is a visual medium. It’s very difficult (as I’ve found out time and time again) to promote material without photographs, because words can only take you so far. In porn - as advertising cliché goes - you sell sizzle, not steak. What I’m trying to do is make a case for necessity of graphic displays.
Where do I begin to nitpick at this law? We (and I’m including myself in this group) as porn webmasters are expected to keep records on all models portrayed. Including ones that we’ve never seen before and ones with barely a body part contained in an image and/or video. The only way we can keep accurate records in such circumstances is if we obtain them directly from manufacturer of said photos and videos. As much as primary producers need us to sell their wares, I don’t think that they’re ready just yet to share those private adult performer files and make them public. I’ve always maintained that porn studio and production execs are a rather secretive lot.
