All For You

It’s true, you COULD be the next Joe Francis but by that I don’t mean be rich and famous, I mean the Joe Francis that sat on his ass in jail for the last year because he didn’t have all his paperwork lined up. I think for the most part, we all agree that Joe Francis from Girls Gone Wild got screwed down in Florida that was in essence a battle over 2257 regulations.

But don’t think it can’t happen to you too because it very well can! I can’t tell you how many webmasters I have spoken to that are convinced the feds only went after Joe Francis because Girls Gone Wild is such a big brand and that the government wanted to make a point. And perhaps that is true but what you dont realize is that they also like to have examples of cases they have convicted people on and for those sure fire convictions you think they go after the big boys with the big lawyers? HELL NO! They want to line up as many small guys who can’t afford to hire big time lawyers to defend them for quick and easy convictions. And you are stupid if you think anything else. You CAN be busted for 2257 just like Joe Francis.

So what should you do to prevent that? Make sure that you have the proper documentation on every single model on your website. By that I mean a model release, a copy of two forms of ID and a photo of the girl holding the ID, and a photo or video of the girl signing the model release. Some people (the smart ones I say) will even go as far as getting a video clip of the girl saying things like …

Hi! My name is X and I certify that I am over 18 years of age. Here is my two forms of id to prove that I am over 18 and I am who I say I am (zoom in on it), and here is the release I just signed (zoom in on it). I am 100% for sure, without a doubt over 18 years of age.

Then they keep that footage on file with the girls other documents. That way if anything ever comes of it, you can show a court that YOU made every effort to prove the girl is over 18 years of age. It may seem like a big hassle but that video clip may be the one thing that keeps your ass out of jail or more importantly, keep prosecutors from bothering to file charges against you in the first place, as you may not longer be the easy conviction they were hoping for so they may just very well move on.

If you are a webmaster who purchases already made content, don’t just assume someone, somewhere has the legal documents you need to stay out of jail stored safely away. GET COPIES! Be responsible for your own destiny. Don’t just hope the people you buy content from has it taken care of.

If you aren’t sure you have what you need, don’t just assume, HIRE A LAWYER. Even if just for an hour or two, so that they can review what you have and make sure you are in the clear as far as legal paperwork goes.

In the end you have to remember that you are in a unique industry that isn’t as simple as running a small business that is perhaps in another industry. We have a lot of regulation surrounding everything we do and we need to be extra careful that we pay attention to those things because as easy as it is to make money doing what we do, it’s just as easy to lose it all as well.

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