Articles by Rick Louis

Penthouse Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has ruled in favor of Penthouse World Media in a case against a website using an infringing domain.

Meta Restores Playboy Germany Facebook Page After Court Order

The Facebook page of Playboy Germany, the German-language edition of the magazine, is now back online after a two-month suspension by Meta, following an order by the Düsseldorf Regional Court.

UPDATED: European Commission Unveils AV App, Addresses Hacks

The European Commission’s age verification app is now technically ready and will soon be available for EU citizens to use in order to prove their age when accessing online platforms, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Tuesday.

Tennessee Bill Would Require Warnings on Adult Stores

The Tennessee Senate has passed a bill requiring adult stores, theaters and other establishments in the state to post warning signs cautioning patrons that they “may be contributing” to sexual assault and human trafficking.

Report: Irish Regulator Seeks 'Industry Input' on AV Compliance

Irish media regulator Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM) will draw on “industry input” to help establish a framework for assessing platforms’ compliance with Ireland’s Online Safety Code and the EU’s Digital Services Act, news organization MLex reports.

Canadian Senate Approves National Age Verification Bill

Canada’s Senate on Wednesday passed bill S-209, the “Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act,” which would require commercial adult websites to verify that Canadian users are at least 18 years old.

UK House of Commons Moves to Tone Down Porn Amendments

The House of Commons has modified amendments to the U.K.’s pending Crime and Policing Bill, including provisions regulating “step” content, content featuring adults role-playing as minors, and performers’ ability to withdraw consent.

Final IRS 'No Tax on Tips' Rule Excludes Pornography

The Internal Revenue Service on Monday published final regulations on the “No Tax on Tips” provision included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” offering new tax deductions for tip workers but excluding revenue received for “pornographic activity.”

Pennsylvania Legislature Weighs 'Porn Tax' Bill

The Pennsylvania State Senate is considering a bill that would impose a 10% tax on the revenue of adult websites doing business in that state.

Trump Tariffs Refund Process to Launch April 20

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin the process of refunding duties paid under the Trump administration’s sweeping program of tariffs by providing, starting April 20, an online tool for submitting refund claims.

UK Government May Limit 'Step' Porn Ban With New Amendments

The U.K. Ministry of Justice on Friday revealed new government amendments to the pending Crime and Policing Bill, potentially limiting a planned ban on “step” content to apply only if adult performers role-play as minors.

Arizona Senate Removes 'Catch-22' Provision From Consent Bill

The Arizona State Senate has amended a bill that would impose new requirements for adult content uploaded online, removing a seemingly contradictory provision that could have effectively made it impossible for adult sites to operate in the state.

Italian Court in Aylo Case Limits International Reach of AV Rules

An Italian administrative court has ruled that Italy’s recently-enacted age verification rules for adult content may not currently be enforced against sites based in other EU member states, pending further procedural action under the EU’s Directive on Electronic Commerce.

OCC, FDIC Prohibit Use of 'Reputation Risk' by Regulators

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on Tuesday issued a final rule codifying the elimination of "reputation risk" as a criterion in their supervision of financial institutions.

Wisconsin Governor Vetoes Age Verification Bill

Gov. Tony Evers on Friday vetoed AB 105, an age verification bill that would have allowed anyone to sue adult content providers for damages over alleged failure to age-verify users in Wisconsin, with penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

AV Bulletin: West Virginia Enacts AV Law, Ohio 'Innocence Act' Advances

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Clips4Sale Wins Trademark Infringement Case Against Fraudulent Domain

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has ruled in favor of content platform Clips4Sale in a case against a website using a similar domain to impersonate the site.

Ofcom Escalates FTV, Web Prime Investigations Over Age Assurance

FTC Warns PayPal, Stripe, Visa, Mastercard Against Debanking

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson sent letters on Thursday to the CEOs of PayPal, Stripe, Visa and Mastercard, warning them against debanking practices — including denying customers access to services based on lawful business activities perceived as high-risk.

EU Cites 4 Adult Sites for AV Breaches

The European Commission has preliminarily found PornHub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos to be in breach of Digital Services Act provisions intended to shield minors from adult content.