By Peter Berton

CYBERSPACE – As 12-month cycles go, 2013 was both a good year and a bad one for many in the adult industry. So here at YNOT’s Canadian bureau we took time out from feeding the moose and keeping the beer fridge stocked to ask some of the people we’ve interviewed this year about their highs and lows.

Here’s what they had to say:

Producer-director Lucas Kazan

On one hand, the Motion Picture Association of America vs. Hotfile case marked the first time a cyberlocker was held liable for copyright infringement by a U.S. court — at last. Sadly, many more cyberlockers are sprouting all over, and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act — with its risible safe harbor provisions — needs to be overhauled. But this judgment gives me hope we can change the conversation about intellectual property, infringement and sustainability.

The low point? U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson upheld the recordkeeping law — the now-infamous 2257. This is a matter of free speech for all of us in the biz, but also a matter of daily burdens and unreasonable obstacles: We can’t shoot foreign models here in the U.S., we lose money to piracy, and we waste time and resources keeping records. The tube sites, on the other hand — none of which keeps records of any kind — continue to thrive and steal content. How sustainable a business model is that?

Dominatrix Lalani Electrica

High Points for 2013 include being an inspiration and facilitating fantasies in so many ways, and helping people in their personal lives by providing guidance. As a dominatrix, I have the ability to influence people in ways other service providers and porn stars may not be able to. I know at least six other ladies who have gained insight and began their own similar businesses after admiring my success. I’ve begun teaching domination techniques to two apprentices who will be putting the practice to good use. I’ve also begun expanding my “porn star experience” sessions to make them even more provocative and spicy.

I personally have not experienced any low points this year at all, and I am looking forward to expanding my business further for 2014.

Busty performer and model Minka

I did not have any high or low points for 2013. The whole year was pretty good for me.

Kelly Shibari, BBW performer, sex-positive activist and Fine Ass Marketing executive

I’m not really sure if I have any low points this year. I tend to look at things on a longer, multi-year plan, and 2013 has been the best of the past several years.

In terms of my public-relations and marketing work, the groundwork laid during the recession has really paid off, and I’ve found my forte in working with larger PR firms with existing client bases. That has mitigated the problems I faced when I started in this line of work, with potential clients booking meetings with me and then, unfortunately, being unable to see past my performer persona. I’m now able to concentrate on the work I truly enjoy doing — writing and creating marketing plans — without worrying about my professionalism being misconstrued as anything less.

Speaking of my performance-based work: 2013 has been nothing short of amazing — not just for me but for plus-size women in general. From adult awards shows finally recognizing the quality of work BBWs provide for the adult industry and offering singular awards for performance, to mainstream ad agencies really starting to understand the negative stigma we receive and focusing campaigns to work on confidence for larger women, it’s really been a significant year for women like me.

It doesn’t hurt that my fan base has been extremely supportive of my work, and production companies that don’t usually hire BBWs have done so this past year. Working with New Sensations, Evil Angel and Wicked Pictures is something I once only dreamed of, and I accomplished that this year. Next year’s first quarter is already full with green-lighted projects, and it’s because of the advancements over the past few years that those things have become possible.

Sabrina Dropkick, media relations coordinator for Pipedream Products

There’s never a low point in the world of Pipedream. Every step we take is in the right direction to becoming a bigger and better manufacturer.

Releasing three entirely new collections this year was definitely the most exciting point of 2013. We created the expansive 70-plus-piece Anal Fantasy Collection to suit the needs of anal beginners and anal aficionados alike. We also continued to explore alternative materials, creating two completely unique collections. Our Ceramix Pleasure Pottery is the first collection of handmade, organic ceramic dildos and vibes by any major manufacturer, while our Pure Aluminum Collection introduced powerful aluminum vibes to the market.

Comedian and adult toy designer Sheridan “Shed” Simove

Releasing my new range of dildos and launching Masturpieces.com was a high point. Completing a nine-show run of my comedy show Trouble Show was another. So was forging ahead with motivational speaking: I was flown out to Denmark to speak at the Copenhagen TV Festival, presented to a huge conference in Dublin and spoke to many blue chip companies about creativity and innovation. My ambition for 2014 is to be invited to present to companies in the U.S.

Jiz Lee, genderqueer performer and online marketing director for Pink & White Productions

The highs: company growth and recognition, more indie porn and nominations in queer, feminist porn awards categories.

In 2013, Pink & White Productions hired me to come on full time as online marketing director, marking a milestone in the company’s growth. We also celebrated the first anniversary of fair-trade video-on-demand site PinkLabel.tv and put Feminist Porn Award-winning titles such as Jennifer Lyon Bell’s Skin.Like.Sun. and works by black queer filmmakers online, such as Nenna Joiner’s Hella Brown, Shine Louise Houston’s OCCUPIED (nominated for Feminist Porn Release of the Year), and Cheryl Dunye’s Mommy Is Coming. The site now offers 150 feminist porn titles by independent filmmakers and studios, and many of them are not available online anywhere else.

Queer porn site CrashPadSeries.com was recognized by AVN, XBIZ and Trans Awards. Pink & White founder and director Shine Louise Houston was named Queer Sex Trailblazer in Curve magazine, a national bestselling lesbian publication. The industry saw the rise of mainstream awareness of “feminist porn” and the release of the academic anthology The Feminist Porn Book and an accompanying conference. The buzz has given Pink & White increased visibility on websites operated by Cosmopolitan, The New York Times and the Huffington Post.

Low points: The unexpected passing of a friend. We were saddened by the loss of our friend, filmmaker Carlos Batts. [His death] was sudden and unexpected, and our hearts go out to his wife and muse, April Flores. The community came together to raise funds for medical and funeral expenses, and we will continue to lend support and live our dreams as big as Carlos did.