Template:Copyedit Porn 2.0, named after the Web 2.0 concept of internet based community websites featuring user-generated content, moves away from the traditional relationship between producers and consumers of internet pornography. Following the success of YouTube which allowed video consumers to also be video producers, Porn 2.0 sites like PornoTube and YouPorn, amongst others, seek to engage typically passive consumers to participate in the production and sharing of their own amateur pornography with one another in a community based website structure.
While Porn 2.0 websites have garnered tremendous popularity and interest since their inception, they are not without their critics. Some concern has been raised about the copyright, privacy and legal ramifications of large quantities of free, user-generated, pornographic content on the internet.
Challenges
Understandably, Porn 2.0 websites have come under attack as being potentially harmful to the economics of more traditional pornography outlets such as DVD sales and monthly paid subscription adult sites[1] “As more and more of the general public comes online, they are finding newer and cheaper ways to get their adult content fix. Just like the masses have flocked to sites like YouTube to watch professional clips from their favorite TV shows, video blogs, crazy stunts, and amateur movies, the adult audience has ditched DVDs and pay-per-view television to flock to similar sites.”[2]
Copyright issues
While some would argue that pornographic tube sites are a natural development for an industry that has always been at the forefront of technological advance [7] several difficulties and challenges have presented themselves. Chief among these is the risk of copyright infringement.[3]
As seen by the YouTube model, any site that allows users to upload content runs the risk of hosting content that infringes on the copyrights of the original producers. While this was a grey issue at the inception of the Web 2.0 movement, a recent billion dollar lawsuit filed by Viacom against YouTube[4] will finally bring this issue before the courts and will have a massive potential effect on the viability of Porn 2.0 as a business strategy.
Age and identity
As part of the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act of 1988, the U.S. Congress enacted statute 18 U.S.C. 2257 in 1988. This required that all producers of sexually explicit material keep detailed records of the age and identity of all models that they shoot. While this posed no difficulty for professional producers of commercial pornography, the advent of user-submitted material to Porn 2.0 websites suddenly widened the possible application of the law. When anyone who produces sexual-explicit material is subject to the statute, Porn 2.0 meant that even individuals at home who shot amateur video were now considered “producers”, especially since their product was distributed via Porn 2.0 websites.[5]
Although 18 U.S.C. 2257 could very easily have caused the rapid demise of the Porn 2.0 movement, a recent decision by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the 2257 legislation was unconstitutional and violated 1st amendment rights.[6] While there still exists the possibility that the government will appeal the decision, this was a substantial vote of confidence for the viability of the Porn 2.0 model.
Privacy
It is possible that users upload material without the models' consent. This is usually prohibited by the sites' Terms of Use.
Monetization
As with Web 2.0 ventures like Facebook, MySpace and YouTube, Porn 2.0 has yet to find a strategy that proves to be commercially profitable. High server costs from hosting the large amount of user-generated content paired with little to no user-generated income puts Porn 2.0 websites in a challenging financial position. Because Porn 2.0 services have, so far, been free of charge to users, the only source of revenue for these sites is from advertising placement. While high traffic sites can garner substantial revenue from advertising, the hunt is on for a new monetization model for Web and Porn 2.0 ventures.[7]
YouPorn
- Main article: YouPorn
YouPorn is a free pornographic video sharing website, similar in format to YouTube. Started in August 2006, it has since become one of the most popular pornographic websites. The domain name was registered by a company in December 2005. The site does not list any contact address, and journalists have speculated that the company is based in Germany. The site is run from a hosting service in India. The Terms of Service document explicitly refers to California law. In October 2007 it was reported that a man, a Stanford MBA living in California, had contacted Vivid Entertainment and Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network in May 2007, claiming that he co-owned YouPorn with another man, and was willing to sell for $20 million. He later denied owning YouPorn, claiming instead that it was founded and is operated by a German.[8]
Pornotube
- Main article: PornoTube
PornoTube is an advertising-supported pornographic website that provides audio, videos, and photos of explicit sex for free. It is modeled after YouTube in that it allows its users to upload their own pornographic media. It is one of the highest-traffic pornographic sites on the Internet along with YouPorn and has been described as a major development in Internet pornographyTemplate:Fact. The site offers amateur sex clips, clips from pornographic websites, and scenes of regular porn movies in the straight, gay and lesbian category. PornoTube was started in July 2006 by the company AEBN which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. A significant competitor of PornoTube is YouPorn which was started in late August 2006 and, according to AlexaTemplate:Fact, has since overtaken PornoTube in popularity.
References
it:Porn 2.0