The Feds They Are A' Coming...

At the legal seminar held as part of Webmaster Access' Atlanta 2004 show, noted first amendment attorney J.D. Obenberger entertained, educated -- and sometimes alarmed -- the audience with his outline of the past, and possible future direction, of obscenity prosecutions in America:

J.D., an experienced and charismatic orator, began his monologue by saying "The adult Web is vastly hated -- and loved -- by the vast majority of America..." and then continued to build upon his theme of how the public's, and prosecutor's, views of porn, are "Two worlds in conflict..."

Using the Department of Justice's recent hiring of veteran obscenity prosecutor Bruce Taylor (possibly as a recruiter of like-minded prosecutors and investigators) as an example of this conflict, Obenberger cited Taylor's view of adult material as simply "crimes that have not yet been prosecuted," and contrasted it with the American public's view, by noting "Porn's popularity is not evidence of a crime being committed, but of community tolerance," as evidenced by the plethora of programming available via print, cable, and satellite outlets, as well as through the World Wide Web.

J.D. backtracked with a brief history of obscenity prosecution under the Clinton administration, and Janet Reno's tenure as head of the Department of Justice, and compared that climate to the current (and very different one) in place under the Bush administration, with John Ashcroft at the helm of the DOJ. Ashcroft, seen as a "true believer" determined to impose his conservative Christian morality on all types of media, is under pressure both from an administration seeking election year support, and from several "grass roots efforts" by organizations such as obscenitycrimes.org -- a Website developed to facilitate reporting of "obscene material" to federal authorities, and determined to follow up on reported sites to ensure their operator's prosecution. Congress is also squeezing the Attorney General by demanding a report on the number of 18 USC 2257 inspections and prosecutions.

Despite this pressure -- and the certain wave of prosecutions headed our way -- Obenberger contends that "We've already won, and they just don't know it yet..." After outlining many of the factors that led him to this conclusion (and acknowledging that some will lose their money, and others, their freedom, before this fight is over), J.D. went on to say that "the real enemy isn't John Ashcroft, it's the guy sitting in the chair next to you..." especially if he's a spammer.

"Spammers urinate in the well we all drink from!" J.D. exclaimed, describing the ways in which adult Webmasters themselves, can be the industry's own worst enemy.

The issue of 2257 compliance was discussed on many levels, with the attorney expressing his views on the various nuances of the legislation, as well as the practical mechanics of compliance, including the wisdom of maintaining multiple copies of all required documents in separate, off-site locations to ensure continued compliance in the event of an investigative seizure of the originals. The audience was then asked to join hands and recite "The Obenberger Pledge" which states "We will not buy or otherwise acquire content without full paper records."

While bemoaning a lack of "bright line rules," J.D. also discussed the March, 2004 US Attorney's Bulletin which features an outline of ways in which prosecutors may pursue cases. The upshot of J.D.'s complex explanation of DOJ thinking is that Websites which also ship videos are at a greatly increased risk due to an attempted Justice Department end-run around a "national community standards debate" along with the potentially unfavorable precedent that such a case might set.

In the end, the message was clear: these are increasingly dangerous times to be an adult Webmaster, but careful operators can still abide by the rules (as they exist) and run legitimate -- and safe -- businesses.

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

Penthouse Names Sharna Beckman July's 'Pet of the Month'

Penthouse Magazine has named Australian model Sharna Beckman as Pet of the Month for July.

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Adult Time Names Alison Rey as Newest Brand Ambassador

Adult Time has named Alison Rey as the studio's newest brand ambassador.

Violet Myers Stars in Latest From Brazzers

Reigning XMAs Premium Social Media Creator of the Year Violet Myers stars with Mick Blue in the latest release from Brazzers, titled "Anal Exam."

Digital Playground Premieres Marvin Love's 'The Last Resort'

Digital Playground has debuted Marvin Love's new feature, "The Last Resort."

Juliana Marie Stars in Latest From New Sensations

Juliana Marie stars with Danny Mountain in the latest release from New Sensations.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

April O'Neil Returns to 'All-Girl Massage' From Adult Time

April O’Neil stars in the latest installment of Adult Time series "All-Girl Massage," titled "This Ass Ain’t Gonna Rub Itself!"

Adult Time Drops New Installment of 'MILF Overload'

Adult Time has released the latest installment of director Jim Powers' series "MILF Overload."

Show More