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WE HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO SHIP X-RATED VIDEO TAPES TO THE FOLLOWING STATES AND AREAS: Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North & South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Northern District of Florida, Canada & Over Seas. *** I'm not suggesting mail-order companies stop shipping to those areas listed, but now as I look at that list, it appears a lot of these local, state and federal cases are coming from those areas. Companies may wish to reevaluate the areas they ship to.

Since I'm feeling benevolent today, I'll toss out this other gem of advise - DO NOT SHIP TO P.O. Boxes. Street addresses only. Use UPS or FedEx. Remember, nothing is completely safe, but these ideas may be a little safer.




This may be the worst advice ever and was clearly written by someone who dosnt know shit about our industry.




Jeff is correct that there is *no* safe address to ship to if one is targeted by the Feds or a local prosecutor. However, there may be some wisdom in not shipping to an ultra-conservative area such as Utah or Alabama especially if one's content pushes the envelope. Existing decisions, judicial attitudes and the prospective jury pool would be much more problematic in Salt Lake City than Los Angeles.

The "gem" about not shipping to a P.O. is mostly silly. As Jeff points out, many cases have been brought when allegedly obscene materials were sent to street addresses. The obscenity statutes the Feds bring charges under do not require the use of the US Mail or shipping to a P.O. Box. I suspect the reason why many obscenity stings use P.O. Boxes is purely a matter of convenience for the Justice Department. They probably get the box for free as well. Similarly, the carrier a producers utilizes to deliver the goods will not save them if the content goes too far. In other words, it is not a defense to an obscenity charge to say, "But I used FedEx!"

In today's legal environment, all adult producers should consult with an attorney familiar with the adult industry. It's important to understand the relevant laws and make informed decisions based on accurate information. The best time to do it is before something happens. "Preventive law" is your friend. I get the distinct feeling there's an a heck of a lot of people in the adult industry who operate without any clue about *all kinds* of legal issues -- any of which could blow up in their face at any time.
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