DWB

"Under the deal with the Justice Department, authorities won?t conduct any inspections or pursue any claims to FSC members, but the government reserves the right to inspect and prosecute anyone who is not a plaintiff or FSC member.

According to the stipulation, the Justice Department will choose a special master who will then check the entity?s name against a sealed and confidential FSC membership list. The special master will be appointed by the court, with the consent of the parties, and will be under a specific obligation to maintain the confidentiality of the FSC membership list.

A master list of members will be submitted to the special master on Wednesday, June 29, and will include all FSC members as of 2 p.m. (PST) on Saturday."

So in other words, if you can't afford or choose not to support the FCS for any reason, your fucked. This is not a matter of me being a member or not, this is about paying someone or an entity to protect you. If you don't pay up, you don't get on a "protected list" and you because a target on June 29th. That almost sounds like a mafia thing.

What good is the FSC of they can not fight for EVERYONE'S right and not those who just pony up money to give to them?

I say it's a crock of shit.

Postmaster

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You're white and you know you are


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Socks

Sounds like we're still going to have to be compliant anyways, at some point. Might as well start now.

baddog

Well, it does kind of conflict with the FSC assertion that they will never release their member list

DWB

The point is you have to pay to be protected in this "deal" they have. Again, this has nothing to do with me, I'm straight... I just don't think it's fair to people who are not or can not become FSC members. $300 may not be much to you or me, but to the little guys just starting out that is a lot of money to give away.

Do they expect foreign webmasters to pay into this?

Rui

Nasty indeed...fell sorry for you guys :/

3piece chicken Dinner

DWB I dig you man. but............


1. FSC is a membership based industry organization. If you wanted to be part, I am sure they will let you.

2. You can still call your lawyer and file for your own TRO, and injunction.

3. It is silly to say they are not fighting for everyone. If they are successful in having the law changed or altered THAT will affect everyone.

I think it sucks that people are having an issue with something that is fucking clear. FSC went to court to get a TRO. I am in the FSC so in reality I took steps to get a TRO. Did non FSC members file anything other than a complaint on gfy that they felt like they were having the screws put to 'em.
NO they didn't, and I refuse to believe that people can't afford to join the FSC. 50 bucks thats it.

and the people who don't feel they should have to be a member can wait , and prey that someone else fixes things for them, and that nothing happens in the meantime.

milkit

$300speechcoalition.com now for sale jk

tony286

Its time the adult net became a real business, a big problem is the cost of getting has been way too low. When I opened a small lingerie business it cost me 15 grand just to open the doors. I hate to sound harsh but someone cant afford $300 , its time to find a new hobby also with the gov cracking down this isnt the safest part time job to have anymore.We have to all get behind the fsc, the days of someone else will pay my way are over.

Sly

Thank you!

Somebody else "gets it"!

2257 is still a regulation as of today, if you file a suit against them maybe you'll get a TRO as well. Right now the plaintiff list is pretty small, though it includes members of the FSC. The plaintiffs got their "deal", not the general public. Now, if in the end the plaintiffs win everything, then EVERYBODY benefits because the law and regulation will be changed.

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DWB

Again... I'm straight here. My personal attorney is Louis Sirkin, one of the cats who filed for FSC, he got me hip to this when it first went down.

I understand how it works, I just think it's a shitty deal for those who can't afford it or dosn't want to support the FSC for whatever reason (people do have their reasons). It's $300 for webmasters. $50 for talent.

A good deal would of been to not enforce the NEW regulations AT ALL until this is sorted out, and not just protect those who support the cause.

DavieVegas

the fsc donation only bought you time. When everyone thought the money was going to fight this rediculous law..pathetic

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leia

300$ is a lot of money. I rarely having $300 lying around and I work my fuckin ass off every single day for many years, another thanks to Bush "successful" means living just enough in the red you can go 2 weeks without getting paid. And good luck trying to save up to buy a home these days. $300 might as well be $3 grand. Either way most of us couldn't afford the price of freedom if they decide to target any of us, "protected" or not. I can't believe what is happening in this country, what a sham(e).

I wonder if those who can comply and take the risk will have better sales given the amount of "free hardcore", we've all bitched about for so long, will become less abundant.

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BradShaw

$300? Many have paid $8k.

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Lester

I'm all for joining but I'm a little confused with the "types" of memberships.

Lets look at that "website/webmaster" designation
That seems like its my definition.

Lets say I have 10 websites
Thats 300x10 according to a line item on their join form.

What if one or two or three of those 10 is sorta the ones to be concerned about. The rest are text link sites

Now its gonna be 2x300?? 3x300? But I really have 10, Do I now lie to them?? They don't break it down much further.

I'm thinking hardly anyone has just "one" website around here
Do you tell them which one of your group you want listed?

What does 50.00 get you, just the right to say you contributed but no other protection?


More clarity is needed...

If they're swamped, that's a bad excuse too
I haven't had any emails with these questions answered for the past 2 days

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aflex

$300 is not alot of money. if you work your ass off every day for many years and cannot come up with $300, i'd say you should find a new job or learn a skillset.

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leia

Per domain would be like charging a performer a fee for every nick/pseudo/stage name he/she uses. It was my initial impression it was per person/business. Clarification is needed I agree.

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enzo

somebody has to paid for the lawyers

3piece chicken Dinner

Not to sound harsh, but maybe it's time to rethink your path for success in life.
If you have been working that hard for that long and can not afford to protect your own best interests, this may not be the industry for you.

DWB

This is exactly the type of person I am talking about.

DWB

Do we know if the lawyers are getting paid? This is a dream case for sure high profile first amendment attorneys. I honestly don't know if they are or not.

Redrob

If you go to the FSC's membership application page:

http://www.freespeechcoalition.com/application.php

and click on the "individual" catagory radio button;

you will see that an unincorporated webmaster's dues are $300 per year.

If you are incorporated and click on the "corporate" radio button, then the dues are $300/per site for the corporation.

sicone

Start now?

You should have started long ago

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Redrob

We should all thank our lucky stars that there is a deal that we can participate in and be protected until the outcome is decided.

Stay compliant in the meantime.

leia

Point conceded. It's a no-joke fee and I value my earnings. It just feels like throwing money into what is a good cause, but with no guarantees in the long run. I'd be buying time I don't need because I'm in compliance as now just as much as I will be in August. I would like to support the FSC tho, I like what they are doing, good to have them around. I hate to see people closing up shop because they can't afford or dont want to join - the concept of the "masters" and lists is frightening.

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FilthyRob

I am gonna pay my dues.

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RedShoe

Leia...

Just for my own curiosity...
Are you a man or a woman?
Do you run your sites alone, or with a business partner?
Do you run your sites from home or an office?
How many domains do you operate?
How has your sales and marketing campaigns been going?

These may seem a bit personal, but I'm very curious. You can reply to me on ICQ if you wish to reply at all... 114683191 or email fxgrunt at earthlink.net

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Lester

Aren't we always being told to "incorporate" as a way to shield ourselves and our assets??? Seems odd that all of a sudden a webmaster who has actually "incorporated" gets hit with a 300 per website fee while an individual who does not gets a 1x fee of 300.

What about an LLC, not a true corporation but many of the same type of benefits.

Still a bit confused though .....

will figure it our soon enough I guess

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DWB

Redshoe,
I don't know if you know this or not but there is a $100 per roach fee.

mrthumbs

this fsc is one big joke.. no way im paying for this.

mrthumbs

i cosnider this as blackmail.

Mr.Fiction

You should pay them just for the work they've done in the past to protect you business.

Why do you think Larry Flynt is a big supporter? Because they are a "joke"?

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wasteland

8K Brad? Gaak! You got off CHEAP!
Colin

wasteland

Okay, I usually don't post on any boards, but this particular thread seems to need a bit of a wakeup call.

If FSA had not managed to pull off what it did today, the results would be horrid. Even if various webmasters were not put into orange jumpsuits over the next 30 days and sent to Gitmo, the lack of any clear opposition would be what the high courts would see as "sitting on your rights" (translation = you had your moment to protest. you didn't. deal with it.). While I suspect that DOJ will come back with a vengence after the August and September dates, if this had not been done, there would have been no history of litigation, supporing documentation, or anything for anyone's personal attorney to present in a criminal defense without re-inventing the wheel.

It is just absurd for anyone to be "dissing" FSA for what they have done. Cambria and Company have forged the tools for a future fight here that could go all the way to the Supreme Court. The 65+ page document they produced was well crafted, set many traps for the DOJ to stumble into, and bought all of us a little time to get fully into compliance under the assumption that this eventually will be upheld to some degree. If you read the DOJ's response, it is arrogant and dismissive - usually a sign of weakness. That they even brokered a deal was also a sign that they felt a need to pull back and regroup. The arguments were strong and if they pushed it, a summary dismissal could have completely wiped out all of 2257. Not good for them - or anyone for that matter.

I have been a professional adult entertainment webmaster for over 10 years now, the "wunderkind" of the various trade associations and conference orgainizers, etc., and the one thing I have always been keenly aware of is that operating an adult site brings hostility from various sectors of society. Like it or not. those "sectors" have given the current administration a "mandate" and need to be thrown a bone. 2257 is the best bone they have, and a very powerful one that could wipe out up to half of the small adult businesses run in the USA if the Secondary Producer Obligations are upheld.

So, as much of a nice guy and mentor as I like to try to be for folks in this industry, I just have to say "get over yourself". You run a business. This is, at the moment, the cost of doing business. Complaining about the FSA is not productive. I'll personally give you $300 to join just to get you to shut up and get behind the rest of the industry that works so hard to be honest and legitimate, against the current tide of conservatism.

Ciao,
Colin

AlienQ - BANNED FOR LIFE

Get the fuck out looser.
Your a filthy fucking no name bottom feeder.

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Mr.Fiction

Good post!

I doubt the idiots will read it.

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VeriSexy

Yeah, nothing is free..............

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GatorB

So mafia shakedowns are good?

borys

Basically the DOJ is forcing the entire US based adult biz to band together in a union.
Thinking long-term, this is the best thing that could have happened to all of us.

GatorB

We should be able to choose which union we want to be in shouldn't we? All this was toady was away for the FSC to get more membership fees. That's all. The government wouldn't even have gone for this if they think they might lose. So why not just let the case go forward odds are the judge would have issued an injunction anyways and it would have laster A LOT longer than 2-3 months.

DWB

Colin,
Nice to see you here.

To be clear, I'm not dissing FSC, I support them. I only think it is very unfair that non-paying webmasters are going to get the shaft on this short term deal. They have my money and my support, but I don't think this deal was very fair and makes them look like less of someone who is fighting for everyone's rights, and more like a big business who is out for big bucks.

With a name like Free Speech Coalition, one would think they would try to protect everyone and not just those with money. Yes, long term they will do this, but short term there will be a lot of people who may be put through the ringer. I just don't think that's right.

jayeff

Some of the questions in this thread are the wrong questions, but at least they are questions. This past month has seen a dramatic illustration of the willingness of webmasters, even when something hugely important is at stake, to jump on the nearest passing bandwagon without asking who is driving or where it is going.

"FSC is a membership based industry organization". Undoubtedly. But what exactly does that mean? Most trade associations have constitutions which more-or-less transparently allow for the election of committees and officers, and for members to provide input as to association policies. Is FSC that kind of association, or is "member" a euphemism for "donor"?

Either way, people are subscribing to activities already under way. So does anyone know exactly who is instructing the legal team or what are their specific instructions to the team? FSC initially represented video producers, who have concerns such as whether 2257 statements must be attached to their movies or can be displayed separately (on DVD's): quite different priorities from the average webmaster. What priorities has the legal team been given? Which issues has the team been told can be treated as bargaining chips and which are considered make or break?

I have asked these questions several times over the past month. I'm even boring myself. But why is it so difficult to get answers, whether from FSC people or from the many webmasters who have joined in recent weeks?

I have no issue whatsoever with FSC and I'm not even suggesting they may not prove to be everything people are hoping for. I'm just dismayed that (I assume) hundreds of webmasters have paid up without asking similar questions. And of course, as soon as FSC was touted as the answer to all our problems, that effectively stopped dead any discussion of potential alternatives.

Several people have suggested that a willingness and ability to pay money towards an industry cause, is a sign of professionalism and worthiness to be part of the industry in question. I would be a lot more impressed if people cared more about what their money was buying and if they made decisions based on analysis rather than convenience.

borys

I don't think they're going to waste your fees on beer and hookers.

Sassy Girl

You have some serious anger issues.

chadglni

Please tell me people aren't whining over $300? That's less than the first day of business would cost in any B&M. Jesus. ed:

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Redrob

We are business people who have tried to create a meaningful organization with a limited budget. We are novelty manufactures, retailers, video producers, talent, website operators, gentleman's club owners and video company owners. Freedom of Speech is something we all believe in.

Truthfully, for the past year, our real focus has been on hiring a new executive director, hiring a person to represent our industry in Washington DC, building a quality staff, and dealing with legal issues as they have arisen such as these 2257 Regs.

We have also studied such diverse issues as Adult Industry Best Practices, STD protocols, RFID, Blue Ray V. Red Laser for DVDs, and more.

We, the Board Members, are not paid for our time or travel expenses. We live all over the nation and come together to try and solve problems for our industry. And, we listen to our members suggestions and appreciate everyones support. And, most importantly, we do it out of our respect for the ideal of "Freedom of Speech" knowing without free speech, there are no other rights.

Now that we have a significant web membership base as a result of 2257 concerns, look for more attention to be focused on the FSC website and our internet members' needs. Your input will guide FSC's direction. We thank you.

leia

I think what DWB is trying to say is the that the "free speech coalition" in name referencing the current situation implies that free speech and first amendment rights are being bought, paid for, when they should be just that - a right; Colin (bless his heart) is saying that "freedom isn't free" and the true pioneers put their wallets on the line to protect and enable people to even earn pin money in the adult industry. I can see both sides very clearly; these are some very tough times. We do what we can and move forward with the best intentions (we hope) we have in common. Think postive thoughts. Solstice sets the tone for the season of changes to come.

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sniperwolf

pretty disturbing 2257...
those are some good points you have there guys

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scoreman

I could have sworn I saw on their membership application a monthly payment plan. For the small guys, thats like $25 a month. If thats a burden, then wow I feel for you, that really sucks ass.

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