Petra's Blog
A unique insight into the day-to-day life of Petra Joy as she chronicles the fun, frolics and frustrations of an independent female porn producer.
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Beware of cheap imitations
Posted: 28 March 2009
Reading the current issue of an adult trade magazine made me look at a new release catalogue from a German distribution company. I could not believe my eyes when I saw that the company “12 Sextuary” was bringing out a film called –“Female Fantasies” – exactly the same title as my award-winning film that I published in 2007. You would have thought that when publishing a film the first thing one does as a producer is a Google search to see if this title already exists. I had originally wanted to call my third film “Art-core” - a term I helped to coin but found out that a series of porn films with the same title already existed in the States, so I came up with a new title - "Feeling It"" – just to avoid confusion for the buyers. One of the titles I thought of for my upcoming compilation "Her Porn" was “Clitflixx” until I found out that there was already a Lesbian Film label in Germany called “Clitclips”. I contacted them and they were not happy with me using the similar “Clitflixx” – needless to say I of course respected their wishes. It is not easy or cheap to protect and patent a title but I am beginning to think it is a wise decision – especially when somebody uses my titles for completely different purposes than intended by me.
I could of course live with a book on “Female Fantasies” based on genuine female fantasies or a documentary with the title but a male-made mainstream hard –core film featuring male fantasies and calling it “Female Fantasies” is a farce.
I am of course concerned that many sex shops might not sell the original “Female Fantasies” but the mainstream version featuring “sluts who ...” (their advertising text). As my “Female Fantasies” has had so much press exposure and the title has become well known, I am concerned that people will go to a sex shop and buy the male version of “Female Fantasies” assuming it is my film – just to be bitterly disappointed with an endless parade of genitals in close-up and cum shots assuming this is what I sell as “Female Fantasies”.
I am very well known in the (German) adult industry so have my suspicions that this title was chosen on purpose to jump on the bandwagon of the positive publicity I and this film has had.
I am angry and disappointed and feel helpless as I don’t think I am in a strong enough position legally to make them change their title before this DVD hits the shops. Now I am worried; What’s next? A Petra Joy website with an obscure extension that I did not think of registering which features the most extreme gonzo porn?! Then again some people say that to be copied is a form of flattery...
