'U.N. of Porn' Discusses International Trends, Marketing at XHC '08

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — A panel of adult industry representatives from around the world met at the '08 XBIZ Hollywood Conference to discuss global trends in exploring international markets.

The hilarious Colin Rowntree of Wasteland kicked the seminar off with the Eros Association's Fiona Patten, who discussed ISP filtering, which sparked debate about international content regulation.

Australia's classification and age verification systems, Patten said, are as strict as they come, and it's important to be aware that potential customers in other countries might have to go great lengths to be permitted to view certain material.

Michael Reul of Webbilling said that in Germany, a 2004 age verification law required users to prove their age in person by visiting the producers' offices to introduce themselves. Then the hopeful user waits to receive a password via postman, who checks his or her age before handing it over.

"Most webmasters left Germany," Reul said.

Some countries, Patten said, including China and Australia, filter their ISPs for anything adult or considered "inappropriate" — whatever that might be.

Also discussed was the penetration of credit card payment around the world, and the need to offer alternative billing solutions so that as many potential users can access and pay for material as possible.

Though credit cards are used more often than ever, 2000Charge's Raphael Berkien said, there is no credit system in Europe the way it is in the U.S. Most often, direct-from-account and bank-driven payments are most popular, and it's important to offer ACH and debit payment options.

Omar Rodriguez of GloballyTranslated.com brought up the necessity to translate all content and website information in every language spoken in every country a webmaster hopes to penetrate, and the languages to focus on now are Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, French, German and Japanese.

"Target those five languages," Rodriguez said. "They have the most solid economic structure to pay for porn."

Rodriguez also said that as soon as a U.S. webmaster opens up to international markets and does it right, he or she will notice a 5-15 percent increase in business.

And when exploring affiliation with international webmasters, all on the panel, especially Epoch's Jeff Thaler, urged attendees to truly know them and work backwards to find the source of their traffic to be sure they are legit.

Thaler also repeated the importance of working with a legitimate billing company that can measure an affiliate's performance based on transaction patterns, and will alert the U.S. webmaster if anything looks fishy.

Related:  

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

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Whisper Fans has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Utherverse Launches 'Red Light Center' Virtual World

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse has launched its new virtual world, RedLightCenter.io.

European Commission Approves AV Guidelines, Unveils Prototype App

The European Commission on Monday released its final, approved guidelines for protecting minors online under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and made public a “white label” age verification app intended to help sites and platforms comply with age verification rules under the DSA.

New Membership Site 'Sluts Corner' Launches

R18 Entertainment has launched a new membership site, SlutsCorner.com.

Roxie Rae Relaunches Site Through XSiteAbility

Roxie Rae has relaunched her site through XSiteAbility.

Federal Appeals Court Vacates FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Pending Review

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions, pending further review.

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Show More