Kink.com

Infobox Company
company_name = Kink.com
company_type = Commercial
foundation = 1997
location = flagicon|United States San Francisco, California, United States
industry = pornography (BDSM related fetishes
language = English
registration = Yes
owner = Peter Acworth
author = Peter Acworth
homepage = [http://www.kink.com/ kink.com]

Kink.com is a San Francisco-based internet pornography company that runs a group of websites devoted to BDSM and related fetishes.

History

Kink.com was started by UK-native Peter Acworth in 1997 while he was a PhD student in finance at Columbia University. After reading a story in a British tabloid about a fireman who made a 250 thousand pounds in a short period by starting an internet pornography site, Acworth decided to start a porn site of his own. Since Acworth had what he described as a lifelong interest in bondage, he oriented the site toward BDSM porn. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/29/magazine/29kink.t.html "A Disciplined Business"] by Jon Mooallem, "The New York Times Magazine," April 29, 2007.]

The site was called Hogtied.com and initially featured content that was licensed from other primary producers. The site was successful, and the site was soon grossing several thousand dollars per day. Acworth soon left his graduate studies to work on the site full time.

In 1998, Acworth moved the company from New York City to San Francisco. Finding that sales were leveling off because other sites were using the same content, Acworth began producing his own content, initially featuring himself with various models who he found through Craigslist or through his photographer friends. [ [http://www.7x7sf.com/people/profiles/3545792.html "The New Pornographers"] by Robin Rinaldi, "7x7", August 01, 2006.] He opened the company's second site, Fucking Machines, in 2000, [http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-07-16/columns/the-man-behind-the-fucking-machine/" The Man Behind the Fucking Machines"] , "Village Voice," July 16, 2008] . and has since opened fourteen additional subscription websites. [ [http://news.behindkink.com/blog/default/2008/02/01/Kink-com-Celebrates-its-10-year-Anniversary "Kink.com Celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary"] , "Behind Kink", February 1, 2008.]

Several websites under the Kink.com umbrella feature directors that relocated following the demise of Insex as a result of US government pressure in 2005, but offer more of a focus on consensuality than Insex was known for.

In 2007, the company's website Fucking Machines was involved in a trademark dispute when the United States Patent and Trademark Office refused to grant a trademark for the name of the site, asserting that it was obscene. [cite web|url=http://www.orlandoweekly.com/features/story.asp?id=11596|title=THE F BOMB |last=Jeffrey C. Billman|date=2007-06-07|work=Orlando Weekly|accessdate=2008-09-09]

Also in 2007, the company began streaming regular live shows, in part as a defense against copyright infringement. [ [http://news.cnet.com/2100-1026_3-6172180.html "At Kink.com, A Live Tool Against Piracy"] , "CNet News", March 30, 2007.] One Kink.com bondage site, Device Bondage, now streams monthly live shows [ [http://www.xbiz.com/news/news_piece.php?id=97914 "Trina Michaels to Appear Live on DeviceBondage.com"] , "XBiz", August 14, 2008.] , and erotic wrestling site Ultimate Surrender began streaming its competetive matches live in 2008. [ [http://avn.com/internet/articles/31837.html "Ultimate Surrender Streams 3 Matches Live"] , "Adult Video News", August 18, 2008.]

In 2008, the company added on-demand technology to its websites, selling updates to their websites on a per-episode basis rather than strictly by subscription. [ [http://www.avn.com/internet/articles/31643.html "Kink.com Launches Kink On Demand"] , "Adult Video News", August 6, 2008.] This system recently began adding third-party content, including that from Germany's Marquis. [ [http://avn.com/internet/articles/31860.html "Kink.com Partners With Germany's Marquis"] , "Adult Video News", August 19, 2008.] The company's most recently launched site is BoundGods.com, a gay bondage site directed by Van Darkholme. Bound Gods was launched under a new gay-focused division, KinkMen.com. [ [http://www.avn.com/gay/articles/31575.html "Kink.com Launches First Gay Bondage Site"] , "Adult Video News", August 4, 2008.]

Kink.com sites

* Hogtied
* Wired Pussy
* Device Bondage
* Whipped Ass
* Men In Pain
* Ultimate Surrender
* The Training of O
* Water Bondage
* Sex and Submission
* Fucking Machines
* TS Seduction
* Bound Gods
* Public Disgrace
* Naked Combat (Under development)

Other sites

* Behind Kink
* Kink on Demand
* Free Hardcore

Kink.com purchase of San Francisco Armory

In late 2006, Kink.com purchased the San Francisco Armory for $14.5 million, for use as a production studio. A group known as the Mission Armory Community Collective formed to oppose Kink.com's use of the building and in early February 2007 held a public protest in front of The Armory. [http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_d=3027&catid=4 "Kink hearing: The pornographer's purchase of the Armory faces more roadblocks"] by Deborah Giattina, "San Francisco Bay Guardian", March 7, 2007.] San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom also expressed concern over the Kink.com purchase, and scheduled a special meeting of the San Francisco Planning Commission in March 2007 to review the company's use of the building. This public meeting was well-attended by both supporters and detractors of the Kink.com purchase. The Planning Commission for its part ruled that Kink.com was not in violation of any law or zoning requirement. [http://www.ebar.com/news/article.php?sec=news&article=1648 "Planning Commission hears Kink.com case"] by Liz Highleyman, "Bay Area Reporter", March 15, 2007.] cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/13/BAG0INI8PD1.DTL|title=Ex-armory turns into porn site|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|date=2007-01-13] [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/26/BAG5RNPKIV1.DTL No welcome mat for adult film studio"] by Marisa Lagos, "San Francisco Chronicle", January 26, 2007]

Criticism

Some residents of the Mission District were disturbed by Kink.com's purchase of the San Francisco Armory, feeling that a pornography studio should not be located in the middle of a residential neighborhood near schools or that the site should have been used for low-income housing or other community-oriented uses. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/01/26/BAG5RNPKIV1.DTL No welcome mat for adult film studio"] by Marisa Lagos, "San Francisco Chronicle", January 26, 2007] [http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=3027&catid=4 "Kink hearing: The pornographer's purchase of the Armory faces more roadblocks"] by Deborah Giattina, "San Francisco Bay Guardian", March 7, 2007.] At one point, there were plans to destroy part of the structure to accommodate condominium development. Ironically, the condo plan's changing of the integrity of the building created supporters who welcomed Kink.com's use of The Armory as a way of revitalizing the structure and bringing back business to the area without altering the appearance of the historic building, as well as being in keeping with San Francisco's tradition of accommodating sexual minorities. [http://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=20&clip_id=3256 "San Francisco Planning Commission - Special Public Hearing"] , "SFGTV", March 8, 2007. (link to streaming Windows Media video and downloadable MP3 audio)]

Although Kink.com has stated that its activities would be invisible to the surrounding neighborhood, La Casa de las Madres, a neighboring women's shelter, announced in late March 2007 that they would be leaving the location because of Kink.com's presence. [ [http://masshightech.bizjournals.com/masshightech/othercities/sanfrancisco/stories/2007/03/26/story12.html?b=1174881600%5E1436304 "Service organization flees from kinky Mission neighbor"] by Sarah Duxbury, "San Francisco Business Times", March 23, 2007.]

Anti-pornography activist Melissa Farley has compared the images produced by Kink.com to images of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, and testified against Kink.com's purchase of The Armory in a March 2007 meeting of the San Francisco Planning Commission. [http://sanfrancisco.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=20&clip_id=3256 "San Francisco Planning Commission - Special Public Hearing"] , "SFGTV", March 8, 2007. (link to streaming Windows Media video and downloadable MP3 audio)] [ [http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/blog/2007/02/kinkcom_in_san_francisco_women.html "Kink.Com in San Francisco: Women and Gay Men's Abu Ghraib"] by Melissa Farley, "Traffick Jamming" (blog), February 8, 2007.] Proponents of Kink.Com usually dismiss such comparisons by pointing out that Kink.Com employs the use of a safeword which gives the model complete control over the scenes (and, secondarily, that the model wants to be in the situation), whereas the typical Abu Ghraib inmate had no control whatsoever and most definitely did not want to be in prison.

Past & Present Performers

* Angel Long
* Angelica Sin
* Annie Cruz
* Aria Giovanni
* Ava Devine
* Bobbi Starr
* Brooke Haven
* Chad Hunt
* Candy Manson
* Carmen Cruz
* Chanta Rose
* Charlotte Brooke
* Charlotte Stokely
* Christian Owen
* Claire Dames
* Dana DeArmond
* Daphne Rosen
* Eva Angelina
* Flower Tucci
* Gen Padova
* Gia Darling
* Ginger Lynn
* Ice La Fox
* Isabella Soprano
* Jada Fire
* Jasmine Byrne
* Jassie James
* Jenaveve Jolie
* Jennifer Luv
* Jezebelle Bond
* Justine Joli
* Katja Kassin
* Kelly Wells
* Kikki Daire
* Kimberly Kane
* Lacie Heart
* Leah Luv
* Lorelei Lee
* Marie Luv
* Mark Davis
* Melissa Lauren
* Mia Banggs
* Micah Moore
* Mika Tan
* Nadia Styles
* Nautica Thorn
* Penny Flame
* Rita Faltoyano
* Rod Barry (Little Billy)
* Roxy Jezel
* Samantha Sterlyng
* Sandra Romain
* Sasha Grey
* Sativa Rose
* Sean Michaels
* Shay Sights
* Shy Love
* Sinnamon Love
* Steven St. Croix
* Tia Tanaka
* Tommy Blade (Ash Brooks)
* Tory Lane
* Wenona
* Wolf Hudson
* Julie Night

References

External links

* [http://www.kink.com/ Kink.com]
* [http://news.behindkink.com/blog/ Behind Kink] – Kink.com blog.
* [http://blog.adultdvdtalk.com/2008/01/peter_acworth_the_kink_kronikl.html The Kink Kronikles] - Interview with the Owner of Kink.com
* [http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/sexdrive/2008/01/sexdrive_0201 Real Sex Tantalizes as Processed Porn Gets Boring]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2007/02/15/violetblue.DTL Kink.com And Porn Hysteria: The Lie of Unbiased Reporting]