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Well it's now 12.36pm and I can officially declare this day to be almost a total waste of time as far as billable hours is concerned. I've been trying to get work done for the last seven hours but things other than work just keep on getting in my way.

I'd love to be able to just shut down the computers and take the rest of the day off but that's not going to happen. Even a couple of hours off would be nice but that's not going to happen either.

I'm sure that the guys from AbbyWinters.com would like to be able to take a few days off right now too. If you haven't heard the news then let me fill you in ... AbbyWinters.com is a teen girl-next-door type of site that deals mostly with softcore although there's plenty of toying and similar content on the site too. The site is produced here in Australia and on Monday night, our time, they got raided by the police.

It seems that for a couple of years now one reporter at a tabloid newspaper in the city where the site is produced has been trying to have the site shut down. It's a bit ironic really because the newspaper isn't exactly averse to showing girls wearing little in the way of clothes but somehow they think they're much better than AbbyWinters.com.

As a business AbbyWinters.com isn't small. The company that runs the site employs a staff of over 30 people who generate a monthly turnover of something in excess of a million dollars according to the figures that I've seen. Size didn't protect it though and after some pressure from that reporter the police raided the offices of the company that produces AbbyWinters.com because it seems that producing pornographic movies is illegal in the part of the country where AbbyWinters.com is located.

Actually it very likely is illegal down there because back in the day when we were shooting stuff for my personal website there were only two parts of Australia where it was legal to shoot that stuff ... and Steve and I happened to be living in one of those parts. So AbbyWinters.com certainly is facing the possibility of some difficult times ahead.

And there's a lesson there for all of us here in the adult online industry. Many newbies come into this industry with plans to focus on affiliate marketing but it isn't long before they begin think about shooting their own content. That's only natural and it can really be a lot of fun shooting your own content. Steve and I and the people who worked with us had a lot of laughs and some great times together.

However there's always one major problem lurking just around the corner when you shoot your own content and that's the question of whether or not it's legal to shoot hardcore ... or even softcore ... where you live. As I said a moment ago, here in Australia when we were doing it there were only two places where it was legal to shoot that content and distribute it.

The laws are pretty strict in the United States too and the last time I looked California was about the only place where shooting hardcore action and distributing it was legal. So if you're thinking of going out and finding some people who might be willing to bonk in front of your camera then perhaps you need to have a cold shower before you do.

Before you even pick up your camera you should be getting some qualified legal advice about what's right and wrong in the eyes of the law where you live. Note that I said 'qualified legal advice' and that's what I meant. Be prepared to spend some dollars and get your advice from a qualified legal practitioner.

Of course that's going to cost you money but it's better to spend some money now than spending some years in prison after you've had your fun and got your content. Shooting content is a serious business ... even though it can and should be a lot of fun ... so treat it seriously because jail time can really spoil your day.

And while you're thinking about shooting your own content have a look at what the latest provisions 2257 require producers to comply with. If it's legal to shoot content where you live then you still have to comply with those requirements and if you don't then I hope that you're prepared for the consequences when the FBI come knocking on your door.

Here in Australia when Steve and I were shooting our own content there were four or five photographers all doing the same thing and selling the content on the Web. These days the guy behind AbbyWinters.com is about the only one of those four or five that's left. The others didn't end up in prison; they just decided that there were better things to do with their time than run the risk of jail time.

So think seriously before you decide to shoot your own content ... there are many less risky ways of making money in this industry.