YNOT EUROPE – Creating a high profile is essential for performers, especially in the adult entertainment industry. Unfortunately, with increased visibility comes increased susceptibility to intellectual property misappropriation.

Native Liverpuddlian Tanya Tate worked hard to create her public image; consequently, she’s found herself the target of online imposters and content thieves. Tate said fans have been duped into believing they were communicating on social networks with the three-time SHAFTA MILF of the Year award winner, and she’s discovered her images and videos in places she never intended.

She’s not about to take flagrant deception and theft lying down.

“I am very appreciative of my fans and want to make sure that when they communicate with Tanya Tate, they are doing it with the real one,” she said. “Having a trademark in place is vitally important.”

One of the first things Tate did to protect her rights was to trademark the Tanya Tate name. She advises others to do the same. A trademark establishes an almost irrefutable claim to a performer’s identity, she said.

As for images and videos, Tate quickly learned to put a stamp of ownership on all the material appearing on her self-managed official website, TanyaTate.com. In addition to establishing ownership and allowing Tate and her fans to spot illicit use of copyrighted work, her pink-heart-with-wings logo also helps to promote Tate’s brand if content does stray.

Even with protections in place, however, controlling the use of one’s intellectual property requires constant vigilance and often extreme effort. Tate related a case in which she discovered a blog claiming to be an official Tanya Tate presence. Not only had the blogger stolen and posted a number of Tate’s images and videos, but he or she also had plagiarized chunks of text from Tate’s legitimate blog. After an extended tussle with Google, which owns the blogging platform Blogger, Tate was able to have the impersonating blog removed, but the battle required quite a bit of time and energy Tate could have devoted to creating new material, she said.

To assist in her battle to secure her intellectual property, Tate secured the services of Takedown Piracy, and anti-piracy outfit established in 2009.

“Stars such as Tanya Tate are a great line of defense against uneducated pirates,” said Takedown Piracy founder Nate Glass. “Oftentimes fans of the industry don’t realize the content they are downloading is illegal, and their actions harm the bottom line of everyone involved.

“Tanya’s message to the fans is loud and clear, and those who love her will think twice before they continue to jeopardize her livelihood,” he continued. “On behalf of Takedown Piracy and everyone in the adult entertainment industry, I would like to thank Tanya for spreading the word to her peers and fans.”

Tate said she can’t take credit alone. Her fans often bring stolen content to her attention. In turn, she lets other performers and studios know when she encounters content pilfered from them. By working together, the industry may be able to make a dent in the scourge of digital content piracy, she noted.