Celeb content and 2257
 

How does 2257 affect celeb content. Are sites required to keep records on that type of content? Is most celeb content even legal to have on your site? Has anyone here been sued over Celeb content?

Sorry about so many questions just trying to keep safe.

Dex

Read the 2257 rules carefully - it only applied to actual sex. It is very rare to find celebs in actual visible penetration hardcore. Most of the stuff is 2257 exempt. However, there are other issues, so you have to understand the sources for celeb content. It comes in two categories:

- What is in a movie
- what is shot as "news".

The Mr. Skin theory is that they "review" movies and show you the clips. They are "reporting", and reporting is pretty much a safe way to go about things. They choos to report the sexy parts, the nude parts, the topless parts, and the nipple slips, but before the law they are not much different from Roger Ebert (except possibly thinner). There is a form of "fair use" for the media. In order to stick with this, the content has to be used in context and presented in context. You cannot pull a topless Madonna picture and claim she is in a wild sex orgy, example.

The "news" shots are shot mostly be professional photographers either independant or hired by magazines, newspapers, and such. These images are copyright to either the original shooter or whoever bought the rights. You cannot use those images without permission (license) from whoever holds the rights.

So, technically, celeb content is legal to use and 2257 exempt if you can get licenced content - which I doubt you will find for reasonable money. So good luck.

Alex

Thanx
 

thanks for the answers RawAlex so I guess the only question left is has anyone heard of a website getting sued over Celeb pictures?

DexCool

Yes, quite a few websites have been sued for using celeb pictures they didn't have licenses for. Some were sued by the copyright owners. Others were sued by the celebrities they depicted. It's an expensive niche. You either pay a lot for licensed celebrity content, or you pay a lot in court.

Many are sued, few win. Mrskin has been sued and won by Allisa Milano :)

There is one celeb site that I promote. I had used some Jenna Lewis (Survivor star) videos THEY provided for a gallery.

About 2 months ago I and my host got a C&D letter and I got an actual phone call from her lawyer telling me to remove them right away. Needless to say the galleries and content were down within an hour.

Celeb sites are using illegal content 99% of the time. Mr Skin is about the only one that doesn't due to the movie review angle.