It’s the summer lull for filming porn movies, which together with the recession and the constant piracy of our copyrighted releases on illegal “tube” sites is making for a dismal year financially and otherwise. Many folks downloading pirated porn movies seem more concerned with “getting off” than with the guilt that they should morally feel from criminally taking stolen materials off of the internet.

These same people know it’s wrong to steal money from a bank or elsewhere, but don’t seem to regard or care that illegal porn downloading of copyright material is actually CRIMINAL thievery. However, if somebody steals cash out of THEIR wallet, I suspect many of these same violators of the law would demand pursuit and prosecution of THAT thief!

Interestingly, I wonder if the IRS is making certain that the uploading/downloading thieves are declaring the value of the stolen copyrighted movies as income and that those who profit from the piracy are lawfully and fully paying their taxes?

At the CybernetExpo event a couple of weeks ago in San Francisco I heard considerable moaning and groaning about the thievery, as well as about the owners/operators and advertisers who make money off of the illegal tube sites. I imagine the radical Christian hypocrites who proclaim that they want porn eliminated are happy that something, even thievery, is helping their cause (you can’t tell me that many of these same hypocrites don’t fantasize about and “get off” to our porn!).

What will the next heist involve? Freedom of speech, loss of voting rights for non church-goers, limitations on the number of children married folks may have, mandatory daily prayer sessions, etc? Thanks goodness that adult entertainment shows and gatherings like the Cybernet Expo provide a venue for thought, learning, networking, business and opinions to still prosper!

Unfortunately, the adult film industry had an actress test positive for HIV last month, the first case for an active performer in five years of monthly DNA testing. Everybody she worked with, and the performers down that line who worked with them, have since thankfully tested negative in monitoring tests.

During the process of compiling performer listings, it became apparent that some non-performer members of the public who also used our testing and drawing facility also tested HIV-positive over the years, including some wannabe folks trying to enter the industry as performers (which shows that the screening system of testing worked just as it was intended to – those wannabe folks were not allowed into the porn industry, but rather were reported to agencies for follow-up assistance).

I feel that we actors and actresses are appropriately protected and I am quite comfortable being in the performer ranks. I personally and religiously use condoms outside the porn industry and I pray that all the other performers do likewise.

I recently had the opportunity to extensively visit my California assemblyman’s office and talk about the adult industry, including the economics associated with the business and the jobs we provide, as well as the income and sales taxes paid to the state of California.

Though my assemblyman is a Republican, he readily recognizes the favorable impact we make towards the economy. Interestingly, a Democratic assemblywoman last month proposed a special tax on us, something that ran afoul of constitutional protections afforded speech matters. Her bill died, thanks in large part to work done to inform and educate legislators by the folks who constantly advocate for America at www.FreeSpeechCoalition.com.

In closing this month’s column, and because even more moral scandals are in the news of late concerning political folks at the state and federal level whose actions seem hypocritical, I note the need for all politicians at all levels to stop preaching family values when they are themselves violating their marriage vows and religious preaching.

Bottom line, ALL legislators seeking to impose intrusive laws upon people need to instead leave us citizens and our right to privacy alone!

Hang in there, enjoy summer (don’t forget to use sun block) and be nice to others.