profile

2257 Compliance Pains

Recently, XBIZ World magazine asked a group of industry leaders, "What was the most difficult part of updating your records to comply with the new 2257 federal record-keeping regulations?"

Here's what they had to say:

"The hardest part of the new 2257 law has been a lack of clarity in what the law demands. I have no idea who I can film, and what I can sell. Many pornographers are a little too optimistic about this law and they seem to be continuing with business as usual. I'm being very cautious. My big hope is that the Free Speech Coalition will be able to clarify the law and find some answers for us. We should all thank them for their work on our behalf."
— Michael Lucas, President, Lucas Entertainment

"Since we're a brand new company and our catalog has only eight titles so far, we were able to step into compliance very easily and we made the new regulations part of our procedures from the get-go. Plus, on set, we have performer ID's photographed up close digitally, so I can put them right on the net behind a secure server for immediate access to our resellers. The program I've built to handle 2257 is clean and basically automated, making it both easy for us and vendors."
— Keith O'Connor, Production Manager and Webmaster, Defiance Films

"Every company has been stressing out over the past few months. The phone has been ringing off the hook with people saying 'I need the release on this one and that one.' I was able to give out some of them, but we're going back to 1995, and in a lot of cases, these people aren't in the business anymore."
— Rob Spallone, President, Starworld Productions

"Luckily for us at MrSkinCash.com, all of our sites are celebrity-based and all the content is from mainstream movies. But we did have to check out all of our free sites and remove any content that was from paysite galleries that we didn't have records for. We also have a small amount of porn sets that I had to organize those records for. It made me understand how much work this is for large porn companies. I do not envy them with this new law."
— Derik Meklir, Vice President Marketing, Mrskincash.com

"The most difficult part of complying with the new 2257 regulations was tracking all content producers and getting the complete records. I noticed many of the producers were missing one or two records, so we had to play the run around until they just ended up giving us replacements, and we removed the ones that were missing documentation."
— Nader Fasheh, Owner, Nichepay

"Since we are all about the pre-1995 exempt classics, the biggest 2257 hurdle for us was to fully understand what was needed to provide all our webmasters and ourselves with proper documents supporting the exemption."
— Mike Hawk, Co-Owner, Smashbucks

"We have found the most difficult part of complying with 2257 regulations has been getting the primary producer to provide all the information for the models that are being displayed on our websites. The other issue was trying to match the model with the producer for the particular set that has been used in the website creation. This has led to purchasing all new content and rebuilding all sites, making costs literally outrageous!"
— Kourosh G., Marketing And Sales Director, Xxxcash.com

"Initially, organizing IDs and releases was an arduous process. Figuring out how to cross-reference everything was also a tough task, but we completed it all by the June 23 deadline. Now that we have a system in place, it will be easier moving forward and adding new studios and DVD titles to our site. It adds extra steps to the process, but I'll do whatever is necessary to adhere and comply with the new regulations."
— Jonathan Silverstein, Thecontentstore.com

"The most difficult part of complying with the new 2257 regulations is trying to figure out what the hell they actually mean, what they exactly want and how they interrelate with other laws, like the personal privacy of our talent. In terms of workload, we were already compliant with pre-existing 2257 interpretations, but preparing to distribute our records to secondary producers required scanning in all that paperwork for more than a thousand scenes — a real ass kicker, let me tell you."
— Kick Ass Vic, Webmaster, Kick Ass Pictures

"We've always operated under the 2257 guidelines, so it was just a question of adding cross-indexing information, like where our box covers are. As for the European model issue, we don't use them. I'd rather stay with American models. We don't shoot out of country like we have done in the past. Right now, we have no problem trying to help the government in any way we can. I do not believe in child porn. I am very, very against it."
— Corey Jordan, Owner, No Boundaries Entertainment

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 Articles

opinion

What France's New Law Means for Age Verification Worldwide

When France implemented its Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law on April 11, it marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing global debate surrounding online safety and access to adult content.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

From Tariffs to Trends: Staying Resilient in a Shaky Online Adult Market

Whenever I check in with clients these days, I encounter the same concerns. For many, business has not quite bounced back after the typical post-holiday-season slowdown. Instead, consumers have been holding back due to the economic uncertainty around the Trump administration’s new tariffs and their impact on prices.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Optimizing Payment Strategies for High Ticket Sales

Payment processing for more expensive items, such as those exceeding $1,000 per order, can create unique challenges. For adult businesses, those challenges are magnified. Increased fraud risk, elevated chargeback ratios and heavier scrutiny from banks and processors are only the beginning.

Jonathan Corona ·
profile

WIA Profile: Lexi Morin

Lexi Morin’s journey into the adult industry began with a Craigslist ad and a leap of faith. In 2011, fresh-faced and ambitious, she was scrolling through job ads on Craigslist when she stumbled upon a listing for an assistant makeup artist.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Still Rocking: The Hun Celebrates 30 Years in the Game

In the ever-changing landscape of adult entertainment, The Hun’s Yellow Pages stands out for its endurance. As one of the internet’s original fixtures, literally nearly as old as the web itself, The Hun has functioned as a living archive for online adult content, quietly maintaining its relevance with an interface that feels more nostalgic than flashy.

Jackie Backman ·
opinion

Digital Desires: AI's Emerging Role in Adult Entertainment

The adult industry has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to embracing new technology. From the early days of dial-up internet and grainy video clips to today’s polished social media platforms and streaming services, our industry has never been afraid to innovate. But now, artificial intelligence (AI) is shaking things up in ways that are exciting but also daunting.

Steve Lightspeed ·
opinion

More Than Money: Why Donating Time Matters for Nonprofits

The adult industry faces constant legal battles, societal stigma and workplace challenges. Fortunately, a number of nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to protect the rights and well-being of adult performers, producers and industry workers. When folks in the industry think about supporting these groups, donating money is naturally the first solution that comes to mind.

Corey D. Silverstein ·
opinion

Consent Guardrails: How to Protect Your Content Platform

The adult industry takes a strong and definite stance against the creation or publication of nonconsensual materials. Adult industry creators, producers, processors, banks and hosts all share a vested interest in ensuring that the recording and publication of sexually explicit content is supported by informed consent.

Lawrence G. Walters ·
opinion

Payment Systems: Facilitator vs. Gateway Explained

Understanding and selecting the right payment platform can be confusing for anyone. Recently, Segpay launched its payment gateway. Since then, we’ve received numerous questions about the difference between a payment facilitator and a payment gateway. Most merchants want to know which type of platform best meets their business needs.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Reinventing Intimacy: A Look at AI's Implications for Adult Platforms

The adult industry has long revolved around delivering pleasure and entertainment, but now it’s moving into new territory: intimacy, connection and emotional fulfillment. And AI companions are at the forefront of that shift.

Daniel Keating ·
Show More