Mar 4, 2022 3:23 PM PST

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Splash NFT Marketplace ambassador Sunny Lane hosted an AMA on Wednesday in Splash’s Telegram group for its Turkish audience.

Lane talked about the Splash token, its impending NFT marketplace launch, adult distribution models and other topics during the hour-long event.

When asked if they had NFTs ready, Lane answered, “Some of the NFTs are ready now, [but are] awaiting the marketplace going live” and promised that the marketplace was in the final stages before launch.

“We should have it live soon,” Lane shared. “Out of an abundance of caution, Splash is taking extra security measures, going through the code and making sure it is bug-free so the big day will go smoothly and safely.”

The full AMA can be found via Telegram here or here.

Follow Sunny Lane on Twitter and find her premium social media links here.

MIAMI — XBIZ is pleased to announce the Miami edition of XBIZ Retreat will make its long-awaited in-person return May 16-20 at the beachfront Grand Miami Beach Hotel.

Satisfyer has signed on as the Presenting Sponsor of the perennially popular event, which will once again bring together vendors and buyers for a week of curated private meetings and networking social events, returning to the location where, in 2016, XBIZ Retreat hosted one of its largest gatherings. For its upcoming summer edition, more than 100 companies have already confirmed they will attend. With space limited, exhibitor suites are expected to sell out.

“The overwhelming response from vendors and buyers is an invigorating reminder of the unique value and impact that this event offers,” XBIZ Associate Publisher Sara Ramirez said. “With such a diverse lineup of participants already signed up, we anticipate that this year’s edition of Miami XBIZ Retreat will be one to remember.”

Held three times a year, XBIZ Retreat features a packed, all-inclusive itinerary anchored by private one-on-one meetings between top buyers and vendors. While indulging in a luxurious setting, XBIZ Retreat participants also are treated to special events, including cocktail mixers, gourmet dinners and entertainment.

Past XBIZ Retreat participants have shared their fondness for the event.

“Between off-site networking and the valuable business meetings, this format fits for manufacturers and buyers across a range of categories,” Nalpac’s Phoebe Grott said. “I especially enjoy getting to connect with international companies to gain more perspective on the global marketplace.” 

Satisfyer’s Mira Waidelich said, “XBIZ Retreat provides both vendors and buyers with invaluable networking opportunities and an outlet to conduct one-on-one conversations in a private setting to learn about each other’s company, values and products. Close interaction is not only conducted in the meetings; the opportunity is also there to connect via speed networking, at mealtimes and all the social events.”

Aneros’ Brent Aldon said, “XBIZ Retreat is my go-to when it comes to intimate meetings with customers. They have a great selection of buyers, especially ones that are not so easily accessible. They always have a mix of customers that entices you to participate.” 

COTR’s Kim Faubel said, “XBIZ Retreat [does] not disappoint. We have met new people from across the globe, which helps COTR spread our message even farther. The events were fun, the food was great, and the connections we made and nourished were priceless.” 

Be Wicked!’s Marc Toretzky offered, “XBIZ Retreat is a fantastic event to meet with existing and new customers from all over the world. It is a very valuable experience to do business in the environment that XBIZ sets up for its customers. The offsite events are fantastic and create long-lasting memories.”

Ana Sofía Giraldo from Pink Secret said, “XBIZ Retreat is the best way to connect with people of the industry and to have quality time with the vendors, so you really get to know the people and new products — I love it.”

Nexus’ Monique Carty said, “XBIZ Retreat creates the perfect setup for you to meet with current and potential customers in one place. As an overseas brand, these opportunities are invaluable for networking and we have had a lot of success with the relationships that we have built through XBIZ.”

Essence Boutique’s Ryan Hole said, “XBIZ Retreat not only allows you to source new products from new companies around the world, but it also allows you to network and build new ideas for our company. This is personally the best event that we attend.”

For more information about the upcoming Miami  edition of XBIZ Retreat, contact theretreat@xbiz.com.

BERLIN — Hours after the German government ordered the country’s major internet service providers to block xHamster, ISP PŸUR told a digital rights group that they “reserve the right to have the decision legally reviewed by an independent court with a view to the legal regulations of net neutrality.”

Back in December, a spokesperson for Telekom, another of Germany’s leading ISPs, told digital rights news site Netzpolitik.org that the company was “critical of such network blocks”.

As XBIZ reported, Germany’s Commission for Youth Media Protection (KJM) decided unanimously yesterday to impose a network ban on xHamster, alleging the adult tube site was in violation of the Youth Media Protection State Treaty (JMStV) and “is therefore illegal.”

Daily newspaper the Frankfurter Allgemeine noted that “the network ban is the harshest sanction provided by the German Telemedia Act” and it “is unpopular and [was] quickly classified as ‘censorship.’”

The KJM’s block order was the result of a campaign coordinated by the head of the state media authority of North Rhine-Westphalia, Tobias Schmid, reportedly using the slogan “No Surrender.”

“Of course, blocking the network is a dramatic intervention,” the obscure regional bureaucrat who has waged a one-man War on Porn told the Frankfurter Allgemeine. “With this offer, however, the right to freedom of expression should not be affected too much.”

According to Netzpolitik.org’s Sebastian Meineck, who has been tracking the story locally, yesterday’s KJM order to block xHamster issued to Telekom, Vodafone, 1&1, Telefonica and PŸUR is “the next escalation step in a long and drawn-out process.”

Telekom, Vodafone, 1&1 and Telefonica “announced that they would examine the blocking order,” Meineck reported after he contacted the ISPs yesterday.

xHamster Alleges Inefficiency, Selective Enforcement

An xHamster rep told the German Press Agency that the Schmid-driven network block is “far from an optimal solution” since “young people would switch to smaller sites where they can be exposed to more extreme content.”

xHamster said they are committed “to work with German authorities — if the rules apply across the industry.”

For Meineck, “the media regulator’s crackdown on xHamster is just the beginning. Further proceedings against other porn sites are already under way, for example against Pornhub.com, the [second-]most visited porn site in Germany.”

Nevertheless, he added, “porn fans do not have to do without the option of xHamster for the time being. It can still be reached under alternative domains such as xHamster2.com, xHamster3.com or xHamster.desi. The current blocking order of the media supervisory authority only refers to the xHamster.com domain. A new procedure would have to be started for each additional domain. In addition, network blocks can be bypassed with technical tricks, such as VPN services, alternative DNS servers or the Tor browser.”

Mar 4, 2022 1:44 PM PST

AMSTERDAM — Larkin Love talks business and cosplay on a new episode of “The Angel Long Podcast.”

The interview opens with Love describing herself as “the Queen of Role-Play” and “an independent porn producer and adult star on OnlyFans and Loyalfans,” a rep said. “Next, Larkin delves into how she got her start in adult as a stripper, and then camming, and eventually filming with mainstream studios.”

“After an agent told her she was totally unmarketable, and studios didn’t know what to do with her because of her tattoos, she started making her own content, posted it to Clips4Sale and found out she made way more money that way,” continued the rep.

Love has become known for her long tongue and a broad catalog of work. She and Long also talk about Love becoming known for roleplaying Power Girl and Scooby-Doo’s Velma.

“Angel was so much fun; it didn’t even feel like an interview. We even talked about working together and her coming to Amsterdam or me going to London. Either way, it will be hot. So definitely check out the interview. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to my world, you’ll learn a lot,” Love said.

The nearly two-hour episode can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and most major podcast platforms; follow the broadcast on Twitter.

Follow Larkin Love on Twitter and find her premium social media links here.

Mar 4, 2022 1:35 PM PST

LOS ANGELES — Miss Mae Ling’s latest appearance is on the podcast “What Women and Other Wonderful Humans Want,” hosted by HiThereCatsuit.

In addition to discussing about life as a self-described “adorable Domme,” Ling also reveals how she meshes her own personality with her work, which makes her “an authentic Domme where she is herself, enjoying her work, rather than a persona,” a rep said, “and how she came to find her authentic self to bring into her work.”

Ling also touches upon how spending years finding herself to be able to unlock and unblock the emotions of others.

“If you come into kink with an open mind, then you should be open-minded about sexuality,” she said.

Ling’s 66-minute appearance on “What Women and Other Wonderful Humans Want,” which is part of the Dating Kinky podcast network, can be found here. Find the broadcast on Twitter.

Follow Mae Ling on Twitter and find her premium social media links here.

DUSSELDORF, Germany — Germany’s Commission for Youth Media Protection (KJM) decided unanimously on Thursday to impose a network ban on xHamster.

The KJM alleges xHamster is in violation of the Youth Media Protection State Treaty (JMStV) and “is therefore illegal.”

“[T]he five largest German Internet providers [will] have to block access to the ‘de.xhamster.com’ page,” leading daily newspaper the Frankfurter Allgemeine reported today.

The newspaper described the path to state censorship as an “odyssey that shows how difficult it is for media regulators to take action against illegal offerings on the internet. First, the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia — which took up the case —  located the operator of xHamster, the company Hammy Media Ltd, run by two Russians based in Cyprus. The State Media Authority then contacted the Cyprus media regulator. In October 2019, they announced that they could not take action themselves, but would not mind if the Germans did something. The State Media Authority informed the European Commission, the state government in Düsseldorf and the Federal Minister of State for Culture.”

After several more bureaucratic steps, in a campaign coordinated by the head of the state media authority of North Rhine-Westphalia, Tobias Schmid, reportedly using the slogan “No Surrender,” and his colleagues from Bavaria, Berlin and Rhineland-Palatinate “approached [ISPs] Telekom, 1&1, Alice, Freenet and Vodafone. Since these companies are within reach, they have to implement the blocking decided by the KJM and take xHamster out from their network.”

The German newspaper noted that “the network ban is the harshest sanction provided by the German Telemedia Act” and it “is unpopular and is quickly classified as ‘censorship.’”

“Of course, blocking the network is a dramatic intervention,” Schmid told the paper. “With this offer, however, the right to freedom of expression should not be affected too much. It is simply a business with pornography, and done at the expense of children and young people.”

A Regional Bureaucrat’s ‘Order’ Crusade

Back in December, Schmid, an obscure, regional German bureaucrat who decided to wage a one-man war on porn in his country, took to the press to announce that there would be no appeals possible to the imminent decision to shut down tube site xHamster.

“Porn portal xHamster is on the verge of extinction!” is how German publication Bild sensationally headlined their exclusive interview with a gleeful, triumphant Schmid who claimed that “about xHamster we have a final decision against which no appeals are possible.”

“It is pornography, there is no age verification and German law applies,” Schmid declared.

Schmid, a fastidious career politician whom German publications have described as someone with “an order fetish,” declared himself ”somewhat amazed” that the major ISPs had consulted lawyers instead of accepting his views on porn blocks and  “accepting their socio-political responsibility more quickly.”

“After all, it is about clearly illegal content. If that doesn’t work better now, the legislature will have to look at it again,” Schmid told Bild, clamoring for state intervention. “Every 12-year-old today has a smartphone and can switch from TikTok to these offers.”

“This is not about freedom of expression, but about a business model that uses an illegal practice,” Schmid opined.

A major digital rights group in Germany published an editorial in December analyzing how a minor bureaucrat managed to ram through a seemingly imminent blanket-block of Germany’s most-visited porn sites, pointing out that the situation was the result of “many small administrative steps” in the background.

“Only when viewed as a whole does the net political impact emerge,” Netzpolitik.org observed.

Main Image: North Rhine-Westphalia bureaucrat Tobias Schmid (Source: LMA)

TACOMA, Wash. — A federal court awarded on Tuesday over $36 million in copyright damages to MG Premium, a subsidiary of MindGeek, in its two-year legal battle against the owners and operators of the site YesPornPlease.com, and ordered the infringing domain to be transferred to the plaintiff.

As XBIZ reported, MG Premium, a MindGeek company described by their lawyers as “among the world’s leading providers of adult entertainment content,” had filed a complaint for damages and injunctive relief against the operators of YesPornPlease.com and VShare.io in March 2020.

MG Premium alleged that defendants Thomas Zang, Howard Stroble, Mathew Bradley, Michael Goal and Mateusz Czajka owned and operated “websites engaged in the business of copying and distributing infringing audiovisual works” under the guise of “acting as a distributor of user-generated content.”

The original complaint included over 60 pages in a spreadsheet format listing 3,078 videos that MG Premium alleges YesPornPlease had pirated.

In his default judgement — originally reported by the TorrentFreak news site —  Judge Benjamin H. Settle awarded statutory damages in favor of MG Premium of $15,000 for each of 2,433 offending videos, totaling $36,495,000.

MG Premium had originally requested maximum statutory damages for losses they assessed at $727 million.

The judge noted that MG Premium is unlikely to collect the awarded damages from the defendants.

Battleship Stance’s Jason Tucker consulted on the case on behalf of MG Premium

“What’s important is that the judge ordered the domain transfer,” Tucker told XBIZ. “Our team worked hard on this case. We are pleased with the outcome and believe this case sets a precedent. Pirate operators should take notice.”

MG Plus v. YesPornPlease Summary Judgement

Mar 3, 2022 1:25 PM PST

BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Eldorado will exhibit at the in-person Altitude Intimates trade show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas March 14-16.

Eldorado will host an 80-foot booth, no. 401, noted a rep, that will be stocked with exclusives and products from a variety of pleasure categories, including BDSM, luxury, trendy and holistic top-sellers, among others.

“Guests will have the opportunity to see and touch the hottest new products. The booth will also include three podium tables, reserved for leading manufacturers, who will showcase their newest product releases,” the rep said. “A few of the scheduled manufacturers that will be available to meet-and-greet Eldorado customers include Evolved Novelties, Doc Johnson, WOW Tech, CalExotics, Nu Sensuelle and Lovense.”

Eldorado will also host a gift basket giveaway throughout the trade show.

“Guests who spend time meeting with scheduled manufacturers in the Eldorado booth will earn one ticket for each vendor visit,” explained the rep. “Tickets will be collected throughout the show and one lucky winner will be selected at random to win the prize of 12 iconic pleasure products.”

Eldorado Director of Sales and Marketing Derek DalPiaz added, “The Eldorado team is excited and ready for Altitude. This show is a great venue to connect with key people from across the industry, both customers and vendors. For me, this will be my first show since joining Eldorado, and I can’t wait to meet customers and vendors in-person. Make sure to stop by the booth and say ‘hello.'”

For additional details about the booth, contact marketingteam@eldorado.net.

Find Altitude Intimates online here.

Mar 3, 2022 1:12 PM PST

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Rachael Cavalli will headline twice nightly, Friday and Saturday, at Big Al’s Speakeasy in Peoria, Illinois this weekend.

Cavalli will also partake in multiple meet-and-greets, where she’ll be available for selfies and selling exclusive merch.

“Big Al’s is the place to be in Peoria this weekend. I’m excited to be appearing for two nights and hope my Illinois fans and locals come out in full force,” she said. “I’m definitely ready to meet my fans, hit the stage and have an amazing time.”

“Right now, this is my last feature until April, so be there,” she added.

Visit Big Al’s Speakeasy on Twitter and find the venue’s social media linkage here for additional details.

Follow Rachel Cavalli on Twitter and find her premium social media links here.

Mar 3, 2022 1:04 PM PST

LOS ANGELES — John Legendary has dropped a new “Date Nights” clip on ManyVids.

Last month, noted a rep, Legendary launched his ManyVids profile and released his first “Date Nights” offering with Caitlin Bell. This follow-up features Legendary and “Bang! Babe of the Month” and Team Skeet “All-Star” Blake Blossom.

In the 38-minute video, Blossom lets Legendary know how many ways she wants him.

“My new ‘Dates Nights’ series really blew up and was a huge seller,” Legendary said. “I knew it was the start of something incredible, and I was right. I’m really blown away at the supportive fans that I’ve amassed in such a short period of time. Definitely check my social media and ManyVids for upcoming additions to the series.”

Watch a trailer for “Date Nights, Vol. 2 — Blake Blossom” and buy the clip à la carte on ManyVids.

Follow John Legendary on Twitter and find his premium social media links here.