Tube Sites Likely Liable Under Revised 2257 Provisions, Attorney Says

LOS ANGELES — The newly released 2257 revisions may make tube sites legally liable if the content they promote is being distributed for commercial gain.

“If it's user-generated material in which the site doesn’t control the content, the site nevertheless is a distributor,” noted adult industry attorney Gregory Piccionelli told XBIZ.

Separately, Piccionelli questioned how the small text on mobile-based adult sites would be affected by the new 2257 rules. With the revised legislation requiring, at the minimum, a hyperlink to a disclosure statement, it may create problems for businesses operating in the mobile market, Piccionelli said.

But BustBox.com founder Harvey Kaplan said his mobile-optimized site, BustBox.mobi, already contains a hyperlink at the bottom of each page that leads to a third page that contains the necessary label.

With respect to the user-generated content, Kaplan said he generally avoids it to prevent running afoul of the rules.

“There’s no way to track the user-generated content backwards to the original producer and get 2257 data from them,” Kaplan said.

Although 2257 revisions introduced this week are expected to become policy on the day President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in, whether they will be enforced — and how — is a matter of speculation across the industry.

Piccionelli said he expects very little obscenity prosecution resulting out of 2257 violations will occur under the Obama administration, because the officials in it are more likely to focus on child pornography and legislation for filtering content.

Who fills the top position at the Justice Department will determine the effect on the adult industry, according to Piccionelli. Obama’s choice to fill that slot, Eric Holder, “seemed comfortable with the idea of prosecuting obscenity” when he worked at the Justice Department toward the end of the Clinton administration.

“A lot of people in the blogosphere have opined that Holder may not be very friendly to the adult industry,” Piccionelli said. “I don’t think there’s any great cause for concern that Holder will prosecute obscenity cases.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Ron Jeremy's Accusers Reach Settlement With Rainbow Bar & Grill

The Rainbow Bar & Grill has reached confidential settlements with a group of women who filed a negligence lawsuit against the Sunset Strip restaurant over alleged sexual assaults committed by Ron Jeremy, according to Rolling Stone.

Sportsheets Joins FSC as Gold Member

Sportsheets has joined Free Speech Coalition (FSC) as a Gold-level member.

Age Verification Watch: Two End Runs, Two Failed Bills

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

FSC Helps Defeat Colorado AV Bill

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has announced that, with its help, Colorado's recently introduced age verification bill has been defeated.

Missouri AG Bypasses Legislature, Declares Age Verification Rule

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Wednesday announced a new state regulation requiring adult sites to implement age verification of users, bypassing the legislative process in a strategy not seen before in state-level efforts to mandate age verification.

Attorney Corey D. Silverstein Launches 'Q&A Series' on Social Media

Adult industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein has launched a Q&A series on his social media platforms.

'Over the Top' North Carolina Bill Could Play Havoc With Adult Sites

A bill filed in the North Carolina state Assembly on Monday would impose new rules that industry observers warn could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Swedish Government Proposes Ban on Purchasing 'Remote' Sexual Services

The Swedish government has asked the country’s Parliament to amend Swedish law so that current laws against purchasing sexual services would also apply to acts performed remotely by cammers, streamers and custom content creators.

Ofcom: Age Assurance Going Live Across 'Thousands' of Porn Sites

U.K. communications regulator Ofcom said in a statement Thursday that providers of online pornography are implementing age assurance across “thousands of sites” accessible in the U.K., in response to Ofcom’s Online Safety Act (OSA) enforcement program.

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

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

Show More