Now Is the Time to Support PornHub and Other User-Generated Content Sites That Combat Exploitative Content and Piracy

Before I go any further, I want to stress these are my views and my views alone.

Most everyone in the adult industry is aware that in less than a span of a week Pornhub went from updating their terms and conditions for uploaded content to being banned by both MasterCard and Visa.

Like many of you, I have not always had a great experience with MindGeek. Many years ago, I almost got into a physical altercation with one of the founders of YouPorn because of their pirating of my content. After calming down, I had a discussion with this gentleman and he explained they did not control what was uploaded and he gave me his personal contact information in case I needed assistance with removing my content from YouPorn. After that night, whenever someone uploaded my content it was quickly removed. Fast forward several years, my company was invited to be one of the first studios to join their partner program. It provided a chance for my company to monetize my older scenes.

I am sharing my negative experiences first because in the nine years since I met that gentleman much has changed in the ways MindGeek has interacted with my company and others in the industry. They have changed so much that I now consider them industry leaders in working with producers while combating piracy.

First and foremost, MindGeek was the first of the three major tube sites to work with producers so they could monetize their content. Since that time both xHamster and Web Group (the parent company of xVideos and XNXX) have done the same and now all three of them work with the vast majority of professional studios and countless amateurs as well

In the last few days MindGeek has banned and removed content that was uploaded by non-verified users in their best effort to purge stolen content as well as questionable content so that uploaders can no longer be anonymous. This has been met with a lot of anger and hostility by many people, but this is being done for the best interests of everyone.

I have seen a lot of people rejoicing that MindGeek is not able to process Visa and Mastercard, believing this is a good thing. No matter what your prior opinion or experiences have been with MindGeek now is the time to come together as an industry and to support them. An attack on MindGeek and Pornhub is an attack on all of adult. MindGeek is doing more than any other site to combat illegal and exploitative content and I am optimistic that others in the industry will follow their lead. Sadly, since there are many other sites that will continue to ignore these issues, it is our responsibility to cease doing business with them.

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