Page 60 - AVN January 2018

BUSINESS | TECH NEWS
THE LONG GOODBYE
It’s the end of my era … sort of
Third, I hope to continue public speaking. That’s fun.
Fourth, for the first time in my long life, I got married in June. I’d like to spend enough time being a
husband to merit the title.
A few of you know, and the rest should learn, the following: Adult Video News was founded in 1983 by
Paul Fishbein, then manager at a group of retail video businesses in Philadelphia. Over the many years
that I have known him, Paul has become one of my dearest friends. His founding of Adult Video News was
ingenious. I remember him talking about that one time in the late ’80s, when he was gracious enough
to let me stay in his house in Philly when I was on my way to a VSDA convention (remember them?) in
Atlantic City. He explained that in the first years of AVN he was living on 25 bucks a week! AVN is a result
of an incredible sacrifice, and we all owe Paul Fishbein for that. In several speeches that I gave when the
industry was really under fire, I referred to AVN, saying, as I held up the most recent edition, “The glue
that holds this industry together is in the spine of this magazine.” And I meant it.
Paul Fishbein was an innovator. In 1985, my first year in Los Angeles, I paid $85 out of my own pocket
to go to the AVN Awards Show—I think it was the second or third one. I remember being impressed with a
giant “AVN” ice sculpture. By the following year, I had become acquainted with Paul, who was kind enough
to comp me to the show. As a 30-something bachelor, I thought that was pretty cool.
In the late 1980s, Paul went to some publishers’ convention in New York, from which arose a weekly
publication called Free Speech. It was a newsletter kind of thing, not physically much different from the
first AVN “magazines,” which really were newsletters. Back then, the War on Porn was on, both from the
Reagan-Bush anti-porn task force and on the local level. So, writing for Free Speech was kind of a feeding
frenzy for industry lawyers. Paul had no problem filling it up. I was one of the major contributors—hey, I
like to spout off!
Free Speech was an excellent publication; but an economic disaster. Thus, Paul decided to shut it down.
As an alternative, one day when Paul and I had lunch in Beverly Hills (where I had a real trophy office), the
conversation evolved into a suggestion that AVN—it was still called Adult Video News then—should include
a quarterly legal column.
Longtime columnist Clyde DeWitt
I was flattered that Paul suggested I write it. Apparently I’m not smart enough to use big words; so Paul
liked my writing.
THIS MONTH’S LEGALESE COLUMN
So, in 1990 came the first Quarterly Legal Update. Back then, because of the Republican War on Porn,
(see page 58) represents the end
there was plenty going on. As a consequence, the second “Quarterly” legal update came the following
of my monthly columns, although
month; ever since then it has been a monthly legal update.
not the end of me. Simply, I have
It exploded even more. The ’90s morphed AVN into three magazines—Adult Video News, AVN Online (from
been writing a monthly legal
May 1999) and Adult Novelty Business (from March 2005). I was writing like a machine! Eventually, they all
update (under various column
were collapsed into AVN.
titles) since 1990. That’s 27 years
In 1999, there was an AVN-sponsored convention in Cancun, a meeting of industry heavyweights: all of
and some 500 articles (counting
the AVN people, and icons Steve Hirsch, Russ Hampshire, Susan Colvin, Eddie Wedelstedt, Scott Tucker—
AVN Online and Adult Novelty
the list would consume the entire article. Four attorneys, including me, were asked to speak.
Business). I think it’s time for a change, both for me and for
AVN. This magazine could use more voices, and I could use
more golf. (I am the worst at what I most enjoy doing!)
So, with a very heavy heart I have decided to retire my
In 1990 came the first Quarterly Legal Update. Because of the Republican War on Porn, there was plenty going on—so the second “quarterly” update came the following month.
title of “Legal Columnist”—as great an honor as ever has
been bestowed on me—and replace it with occasional
“Guest Columnist.” I am honored that AVN is willing to
allow me the latter.
I can’t thank enough people for whatever success I have
enjoyed writing Legal Angles (and all the other things it
has been called over the years), but they start with Paul
Remember, this was during the Clinton administration, when there were no threats of obscenity
Fishbein, followed by many wonderful people you may
prosecutions or obscenity enforcement. The three other attorneys (Paul Cambria, Bob DePiano and Jeffrey
or may not know (in roughly chronological order): John
Douglas, as I recall) talked about 2257, obscenity prosecutions and whatever. My topic was piracy, which
Paone, Gene Ross, Mark Kernes, Tom Hymes, Sharan Street
always was a concern, even then.
MILESTONES | By Clyde DeWitt
and many others. I give AVN Online editor Tom Hymes
Having learned about the brand-new Napster and having an electrical engineering degree, I had quickly
credit for dubbing me “avuncular” and “the Will Rogers of
become pretty conversant with personal computers—at least conceptually how they functioned.
Internet Porn,” which might have been the highlight of my
I told the group that the internet was a greater threat to this industry than the federal government ever
career.
had been—people would start swapping porn files like Napster was swapping music files. I saw internet
First, a significant part of my decision is that I want to
connection speed and hard-drive capacity increasing exponentially; and I had a pretty good sense of what
keep time for defending the constitutional rights of this
size file it took to record a “scene.” I knew it wouldn’t be long until storage increased and connection
publication’s readers. I love whatever successes that I have
speed would make my prophecy a reality.
enjoyed doing that! I won’t quit as long as I am breathing.
The response was interesting. The day after I gave my talk, Gene Ross (then still with AVN, where he
Second, don’t think that I am going to ride off into the
had a long career) said he was getting emails from people claiming that my prediction was nonsense. We
sunset! I plan to write occasional columns when I really
all now know that it wasn’t!
feel like spouting off. Those of you who know me are
I look forward to seeing my old and new friends at the conventions and at least a few times a year
familiar with my propensity to do that. So, figure to see a
popping up with an article in AVN. And maybe a speech or two.
piece from me a few times a year.
Thanks for reading for 27 years. It’s been a trip!
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