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

Ofcom Fines OnlyFans Parent Company Over Inaccurate Age Verification Reporting

U.K. communications regulator Ofcom has fined OnlyFans parent company Fenix International Ltd. $1.36 million for inaccurate reporting of its age verification measures.

Irish Government Releases Report on Sex Work Decriminalization Legislation

The Irish government has released a report reviewing a 2017 law that decriminalized sex work across the country.

Texas Bill Would Require Age Verification for Online Sex Toy Sales

A new bill in the Texas state legislature would require online retailers to implement age verification of purchasers before selling “obscene devices” to anyone in that state.

Age Verification Watch: Michigan Joins the AV Club, Some Laws Just Make No Sense

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

Free Speech Groups Back SCOTUS Appeal of Georgia Strip Club Tax

Two civil liberties organizations filed an amicus brief Tuesday supporting a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal in a case involving whether a tax specifically aimed at adult entertainment establishments violates the First Amendment.

Swedish Court Rules LELO Products Do Not Infringe 'Invalid' Satisfyer Patent

A Swedish district court has ruled that a patent filed by Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH is not valid, and therefore three products from pleasure brand LELO are not in violation.

North Dakota House Committee Questions Anti-Porn 'Public Health Hazard' Claim

The North Dakota House of Representatives Education Committee on Monday amended a resolution that would have recognized pornography as a “public health hazard,” instead replacing that language with a call for further study into whether such a designation is appropriate.

Wyoming Governor Signs Age Verification Law

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed the state's new age verification bill into law yesterday.

Florida Bill Would Auto-Filter Porn for All Users, Not Just Minors

Florida lawmakers have introduced legislation to require manufacturers to equip tablets and smartphones with a filter that would prevent all users from accessing material deemed harmful to minors, to be automatically enabled on devices activated in that state.

Nigeria to Ban All Porn Websites, Penalize Non-Compliant ISPs

Nigeria's House of Representatives on Tuesday directed its telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to immediately block all porn websites across the country and to enforce that ban.

Show More