BUSINESS THREADS

The more content you have, the harder it is to manage it. This simple formula was debated during the Internext seminar, “Content Management.”

The panelist Greg Piccionelli (an attorney representing adult businesses) stated that content is the most valuable element of a webmaster’s site.BUSINESS THREADS

The more content you have, the harder it is to manage it. This simple formula was debated during the Internext seminar, “Content Management.”

The panelist Greg Piccionelli (an attorney representing adult businesses) stated that content is the most valuable element of a webmaster’s site. It can be worthless, however, if you don’t know how to manage it. From a legal perspective, managing your content will keep you operating within the law. With a conservative administration getting ready for an attack, legally managing your content will keep you out of jail.

This fact should not be taken lightly, the panelists agreed. For example, if you fail to manage your content, such that you are missing one model release form, this could lead to catastrophic results for the webmaster (don’t bend over to pick up the soap). If someone from Ashcroft’s legion of prosecutors bangs on your door and asks to see the model release form of a girl that’s 25, but could pass for 17, and you don’t have it, you can end up in jail. The model release form, according to Piccionelli, is a webmaster’s get out of jail card.

When managing your content, specifically, acquiring content from various sources, keep in mind that not all model release forms are the same – some are better than others. Also, when keeping your model release records, always get 2 forms of picture identification, advised Piccionelli. Make sure when you buy content from other sources that the models don’t appear under 18 and be absolutely positive that the seller (3rd party content provider) has all the proper documentation.

Keeping track of your intellectual property is another critical element, Piccionelli advised webmasters. Intellectual property is more valuable to you than third-party content. Separating image folders into your own content and that of third parties will help keep you more organized.

Piccionelli also further elaborated on the legal perspective of content management. He advised webmasters to document all the aliases of the performers and to include the date of the artistic creation (when the pictures were taken). All webmasters should file their copyrights for legal and business-related protection. Failure to do so within 3 months of publishing may result in a hard time for your lawyer in a court room, trying to prove that your content is original and somebody has stolen your images. Avoid paying legal fees by going to the copyright office and filing your images. Burn them on a CD and get them copyrighted within 3 months of publication.

Also, don’t grant exclusive licenses to more than one party, and if you’re a content producer and/or licensor, make sure you are copyrighted because of peer to peer ripoffs. Peer to peer content (e.g., Naughty Napster) sites are now hatched, so watch out for content thieves.

Fred Lane, Internext moderator, also pitched in his 2 cents, advising webmasters to acquire digitally-watermarked software, because as Fred wisely pointed out, the adult industry hasn’t properly policed its intellectual properties yet. With regards to digital technology and other future technologies, it’s imperative that webmasters know where to turn to in hopes of protecting their digital rights.

Brooks Talley, joining Piccionelli on the panel, rhetorically asked, “How do you change your content? How do you set up your templates to accommodate thousands of images?” There are many programs, the panelists stated, that can help a webmaster manage their content. Check the various webmaster resources to see what programs of content management would work best for you.

The two main issues facing webmasters in terms of content management come from a legal perspective as well as programming logistics. To resolve these issues, the panelists urged webmasters to consult an attorney who specializes in online adult entertainment and to scour the webmaster resources for good content management software.