Adult Entertainment Law: Legal Issues in the XXX World

While adult entertainment businesses share the same needs for legal services encountered by any other kind of business, the adult nature of such businesses presents many legal issues that are unique to the adult entertainment world. These issues span multiple doctrinal areas of law, including First Amendment issues, compliance with federal and state criminal obscenity laws and record keeping requirements, intellectual property issues such as copyright, trademark, and privacy law, and issues involving health law.  

Adult entertainment businesses must also be versed in the laws associated with the protection of children from adult content material, adult use restrictive zoning and licensing laws, and certain areas of employment and taxation law. In this course, attorney Ameer Benno provides an overview of these issues and much more.   

Learning Objectives:

I.     Recognize the interplay between the First Amendment and censorship

II.    Understand the landscape of obscenity law, federal record keeping requirements under 18 U.S.C. § 2257 and 2257A, and current federal enforcement priorities

III.   Become acquainted with copyright law and its safe harbor provisions under the DMCA

IV.   Explore trademark issues, such as Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act

V.    Identify relevant privacy rights, including the right of publicity and the rights of models and performers

VI.   Gain insight into the immunity provisions under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act

VII.  Comprehend the laws governing time, place, and manner restrictions on zoning and licensing of adult-oriented businesses 

VIII. Grasp the current proposed state and federal legislation’s potential effect on the adult industry