Expert: Jim Boyd - 1/23/2008

Question
Hey Jim -

I am a gay man - but this is not a question about gay porn, as it's about porn, in general.  A few years back, I did a few video scenes for a gay porn website.  I was broke, unemployed, etc - I'm sure you've heard it all.  Recently, the experience has come back to haunt me.  Have you any experiennce or advice for someone (like me) who wants to obtain the rights to his porn scene - or buying the rights from the company?  Is there any route I can take to make this experience go away?  If so, where do I start?  Will it cost money?  Who do I need to speak with?

I did sign a release form, but I do not have it anymore.

Answer
Hi TM,

This situation is very common in the gay porn business. However, it is normally the straight guys who do “gay for pay” who develop these issues later in life. Now don’t get me wrong, it happens in straight porn too….but with much less frequency.

Unfortunately, I’m going to have to tell you that there probably isn’t much you can do for several reasons.

1: Buying the rights would probably require at least a 7 figure offer to the owners of the production. If is a reasonably successful film and still making money…you can think even bigger.

2: You signed a model release/contract giving up any and all rights you had to the film and your part in it. These documents are legally binding from the time you place your signature on them until….well forever. Even if you no longer have your copy of it…you can bet your life that the folks who produced the film still have theirs.

3: Even if you managed to either purchase the rights to the film or, through some major legal miracle, managed to get a court to grant you those rights…the film would never simply go away. It has been mass produced and distributed nationally or perhaps even internationally…which means there will likely always be copies of it lying around somewhere.

I normally do not answer question related to gay porn, but as I said above, this scenario has happened in the straight Industry as well. Gay or Straight, EVERYONE needs to understand that once you sign the paperwork and participated in the production of an Adult film…it is VERY permanent...and that film could be seen by millions of people over a given period of time.Including a few people you may know...or will come to know later in life.

Make sure you can live with that BEFORE you get involved.

Jim Boyd