Abbywinters.com
Encyclopedia
Abbywinters.com is a formerly Australia
-based pornographic paysite
specialising in lesbian and solo sex acts by female models, as well as a range of both scripted and unscripted 'real world'-type situations, such as naked yoga
, aerobics
, video games, swimming, car wash
ing, and so on. The site claims all-female shooting crews and prides itself on being at the forefront of the "natural", reality
-based porn market.
The site is noted among fans for its skilful mix of both its professional-model "core" (of which it only has a few) alongside a massive trove of genuinely amateur
models, most of whom had never worked in erotic modelling or video before coming to the company. All material is captured with particularly high-quality camera-work (usually using high-definition
video and photography, especially from 2009, together with somewhat atypical "signature" capture angles) and has no models with surgically enhanced breasts; models wear little make-up, and most of them also often have a full patch of pubic hair
; in addition the website claims that the photos themselves, once shot, are not retouched
in any way.
The site was launched in 2000 and has since been split into three "mini-sites"; 'Solo', 'Girl-Girl
', and 'Intimate Moments' (masturbation
).
Abbywinters.com is in the top 10,000 visited websites in the world according to Alexa
traffic rankings, and in January 2008 had about 30,000 subscribers. It is an Australian site but 65% of subscribers are in the United States
. In 2010, amidst a shifting political climate in the Australian government on the question of pornography's acceptability in the country, the company's offices were unilaterally moved to the Netherlands
; however, prior to that move, the site's web servers had already been based in the Netherlands and United States
for quite some time. the site has moved its operations to the Netherlands.
before. In photo-based shoots the women usually begin wearing their own clothes and underwear, which they gradually shed, and are photographed in their own homes and bedrooms and/or in outdoor settings. In videos, there may also be a similar candid-interview type situation, but videos on the site involving groups usually have a theme or (at least implied) back-story to them, such as beginning a yoga
class in full yoga clothes and gradually shedding them as the yoga session progresses. there were 1200 models featured on the site, with more than 370,000 images and almost 4000 videos, with new content uploaded twice daily.
Wired writer Regina Lynn claims that the site portrays sex more realistically than most pornography. Customers are able to suggest scenarios on the sites forum which are sometimes filmed. After establishing a rough scenario for each shoot the production team then lets the performers decide how fast the scene progresses, and which sex acts they will perform. All scenes are filmed by women, some of whom have previously modelled for the site. Models are paid approximately $800 for a solo masturbation scene, and $1,400 for a sex scene with another model.
In 2003/04 Abbywinters.com deviated from featuring only girl/girl sex by filming 6 boy/girl scenes. All scenes were portrayed as being real couples as, like all the females, none of the males were professionals. Garion Hall stated on the website's discussion board on 24 November 2010 that Abbywinters.com are planning to add regular boy/girl scenes in the future.
, Netherlands
because of recent legal issues in Australia. The company was based in the Melbourne
suburb of Fitzroy
. The company now operates from an office in central Amsterdam
.
in late 2007 the company had also briefly opened a second office in Sydney
. In late 2007 the site partnered with Wicked Pictures
as the exclusive distributor for Abbywinters.com DVDs.
The company claims to have regularly donated $1,000 a week to various organisations including Samba
, ASACP, and various other open source projects, as well as health aid organisations. Consequently, Abby Winters is a Sustaining Contributor on the Free Software Foundation
's Thank GNUs 2007, and on the OpenBSD
's donations list. It also made a A$
78,000 donation to the Black Saturday bushfires appeal.
. Dahl was concerned that Abby Winters fails to inform young and inexperienced models that content may be available outside of the confines of the paysite, on file sharing
networks, and how their involvement in pornography might revisit them inhibiting their future choices. However, following the raid on G-Media, Liandra reopened her blog to make clear that the Herald sun had "misquoted her" and that she didn't support the new laws against pornography in Australia.
as part of a wider "Operation Refuge". The Herald Sun article gave two grounds for the raid: that G-Media may have filmed an under-age model, and that G-Media's DVD productions may have contravened Victoria's film classification laws
. The report states that CEO Garion Hall was arrested but released later the same day, and claims that the raid was made in response to information provided by the paper. G Media later released a statement stating that nothing had been seized in the raid, and that the police were polite and amiable throughout. In December 2009 CEO Garion Hall was charged by Victoria Police with 54 counts of making objectionable films for gain, and possessing a commercial quantity of objectionable films. According to a post by Hall on the site, the charges against him were eventually dropped and two charges were filed against the company itself. A judge then fined the company $6,000 on May 28, 2010. As a result, Hall decided to move the company out of Australia to Amsterdam.
, on 19 March 2009, alleged to be the ACMA
(Australian Communications and Media Authority) blacklist of websites to be prohibited in Australia under the proposed Australian Firewall
.
in 2008, for Best Amateur Series, with its "Intimate Moments" DVD, and has been selected as "Best Adult Website", in 2006 and 2007, by Australian Adult Industry Awards
. It also won the Best amateur series award at the Adult Entertainment Expo. At the 2011 AVN Awards, Abbywinters.com was awarded Best Membership Site, for their second AVN Award.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
-based pornographic paysite
Paysite
A paysite, in pornography jargon, is a website that charges money to become a member and view its content, and often produces original adult content. They can be contrasted with "free-sites", which do not charge a membership fee. Most paysites offer "free tours" which allow non-members to view a...
specialising in lesbian and solo sex acts by female models, as well as a range of both scripted and unscripted 'real world'-type situations, such as naked yoga
Naked yoga
Naked yoga is the practice of yoga without clothes. The practice is gaining popularity, notably in western societies that have more familiarity with social nudity. While many practice naked yoga at home, there are a growing number of participants, including children, in group classes...
, aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
, video games, swimming, car wash
Car wash
A car wash or auto wash is a facility used to clean the exterior and, in some cases, the interior of motor vehicles.- Categories :...
ing, and so on. The site claims all-female shooting crews and prides itself on being at the forefront of the "natural", reality
Reality porn
Reality pornography is a genre of pornography where staged scenes, usually shot in cinéma vérité fashion, set up and precede sexual encounters. These scenes may either have the cameraman directly engaging in sex or merely filming others having sex. The genre presents itself as "real couples having...
-based porn market.
The site is noted among fans for its skilful mix of both its professional-model "core" (of which it only has a few) alongside a massive trove of genuinely amateur
Amateur pornography
Amateur pornography is a category of pornography that features models or actors performing without pay, or for whom this material is their first or only paid modeling work. Reality pornography is professionally made porn which seeks to emulate the style of amateur pornography...
models, most of whom had never worked in erotic modelling or video before coming to the company. All material is captured with particularly high-quality camera-work (usually using high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
video and photography, especially from 2009, together with somewhat atypical "signature" capture angles) and has no models with surgically enhanced breasts; models wear little make-up, and most of them also often have a full patch of pubic hair
Pubic hair
Pubic hair is hair in the frontal genital area, the crotch, and sometimes at the top of the inside of the legs; these areas form the pubic region....
; in addition the website claims that the photos themselves, once shot, are not retouched
Photo manipulation
Photo manipulation is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception , through analog or digital means.- Types of digital photo manipulation :...
in any way.
The site was launched in 2000 and has since been split into three "mini-sites"; 'Solo', 'Girl-Girl
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
', and 'Intimate Moments' (masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
).
Abbywinters.com is in the top 10,000 visited websites in the world according to Alexa
Alexa Internet
Alexa Internet, Inc. is a California-based subsidiary company of Amazon.com that is known for its toolbar and Web site. Once installed, the toolbar collects data on browsing behavior which is transmitted to the Web site where it is stored and analyzed and is the basis for the company's Web traffic...
traffic rankings, and in January 2008 had about 30,000 subscribers. It is an Australian site but 65% of subscribers are in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 2010, amidst a shifting political climate in the Australian government on the question of pornography's acceptability in the country, the company's offices were unilaterally moved to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
; however, prior to that move, the site's web servers had already been based in the Netherlands and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for quite some time. the site has moved its operations to the Netherlands.
Description of content
The website features female models typically between the ages 18 to 25. Most models have not appeared in pornographyPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
before. In photo-based shoots the women usually begin wearing their own clothes and underwear, which they gradually shed, and are photographed in their own homes and bedrooms and/or in outdoor settings. In videos, there may also be a similar candid-interview type situation, but videos on the site involving groups usually have a theme or (at least implied) back-story to them, such as beginning a yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
class in full yoga clothes and gradually shedding them as the yoga session progresses. there were 1200 models featured on the site, with more than 370,000 images and almost 4000 videos, with new content uploaded twice daily.
Wired writer Regina Lynn claims that the site portrays sex more realistically than most pornography. Customers are able to suggest scenarios on the sites forum which are sometimes filmed. After establishing a rough scenario for each shoot the production team then lets the performers decide how fast the scene progresses, and which sex acts they will perform. All scenes are filmed by women, some of whom have previously modelled for the site. Models are paid approximately $800 for a solo masturbation scene, and $1,400 for a sex scene with another model.
In 2003/04 Abbywinters.com deviated from featuring only girl/girl sex by filming 6 boy/girl scenes. All scenes were portrayed as being real couples as, like all the females, none of the males were professionals. Garion Hall stated on the website's discussion board on 24 November 2010 that Abbywinters.com are planning to add regular boy/girl scenes in the future.
Company Status
Garion Hall is the founder and CEO of Abbywinters.com including related companies such as GMBill, the site's payment service. The abbywinters.com website is owned and operated by Dutch company Abbywinters.com BV. On 1 June 2010, Hall announced that G Media was selling the business to his new Dutch company, and would be moving its operations to AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
because of recent legal issues in Australia. The company was based in the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
suburb of Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
. The company now operates from an office in central Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
in late 2007 the company had also briefly opened a second office in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. In late 2007 the site partnered with Wicked Pictures
Wicked Pictures
Wicked Pictures is an American pornographic movie studio headquartered in Canoga Park, California. In 2006 it was described by Reuters as one of the handful of studios that dominate the U.S. porn industry...
as the exclusive distributor for Abbywinters.com DVDs.
The company claims to have regularly donated $1,000 a week to various organisations including Samba
Samba (software)
Samba is a free software re-implementation, originally developed by Andrew Tridgell, of the SMB/CIFS networking protocol. As of version 3, Samba provides file and print services for various Microsoft Windows clients and can integrate with a Windows Server domain, either as a Primary Domain...
, ASACP, and various other open source projects, as well as health aid organisations. Consequently, Abby Winters is a Sustaining Contributor on the Free Software Foundation
Free Software Foundation
The Free Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation founded by Richard Stallman on 4 October 1985 to support the free software movement, a copyleft-based movement which aims to promote the universal freedom to create, distribute and modify computer software...
's Thank GNUs 2007, and on the OpenBSD
OpenBSD
OpenBSD is a Unix-like computer operating system descended from Berkeley Software Distribution , a Unix derivative developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It was forked from NetBSD by project leader Theo de Raadt in late 1995...
's donations list. It also made a A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
78,000 donation to the Black Saturday bushfires appeal.
Criticism by former model Liandra Dahl
In 2007 ex-Abby Winters model Liandra Dahl wrote on her blog about privacy problems concerning G-Media sites, which was picked up by the Herald SunHerald Sun
The Herald Sun is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Melbourne, Australia. It is published by The Herald and Weekly Times, a subsidiary of News Limited, itself a subsidiary of News Corporation. It is available for purchase throughout Melbourne, Regional Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital...
. Dahl was concerned that Abby Winters fails to inform young and inexperienced models that content may be available outside of the confines of the paysite, on file sharing
File sharing
File sharing is the practice of distributing or providing access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multimedia , documents, or electronic books. It may be implemented through a variety of ways...
networks, and how their involvement in pornography might revisit them inhibiting their future choices. However, following the raid on G-Media, Liandra reopened her blog to make clear that the Herald sun had "misquoted her" and that she didn't support the new laws against pornography in Australia.
Police raid on G Media
On 16 June 2009, G Media offices in Melbourne were raided by Victoria PoliceVictoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
as part of a wider "Operation Refuge". The Herald Sun article gave two grounds for the raid: that G-Media may have filmed an under-age model, and that G-Media's DVD productions may have contravened Victoria's film classification laws
Censorship in Australia
Australia is a federation, and responsibility for censorship is divided between the states and the federal government. Censorship of video games and Internet sites hosted in Australia are considered to be the strictest in the western world....
. The report states that CEO Garion Hall was arrested but released later the same day, and claims that the raid was made in response to information provided by the paper. G Media later released a statement stating that nothing had been seized in the raid, and that the police were polite and amiable throughout. In December 2009 CEO Garion Hall was charged by Victoria Police with 54 counts of making objectionable films for gain, and possessing a commercial quantity of objectionable films. According to a post by Hall on the site, the charges against him were eventually dropped and two charges were filed against the company itself. A judge then fined the company $6,000 on May 28, 2010. As a result, Hall decided to move the company out of Australia to Amsterdam.
Censorship
Abbywinters.com is included on a list published on WikileaksWikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
, on 19 March 2009, alleged to be the ACMA
Australian Communications and Media Authority
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is an Australian government statutory authority within the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy portfolio...
(Australian Communications and Media Authority) blacklist of websites to be prohibited in Australia under the proposed Australian Firewall
Internet censorship in Australia
Internet censorship in Australia currently consists of a regulatory regime under which the Australian Communications and Media Authority has the power to enforce content restrictions on Internet content hosted within Australia, and maintain a "black-list" of overseas websites which is then...
.
Awards
Abbywinters.com won the AVN AwardAVN Awards
The AVN Awards are movie awards sponsored and presented by the American adult video industry trade magazine AVN to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of the creation and marketing of American pornographic movies. They are called the "Oscars of porn"...
in 2008, for Best Amateur Series, with its "Intimate Moments" DVD, and has been selected as "Best Adult Website", in 2006 and 2007, by Australian Adult Industry Awards
Australian Adult Industry Awards
Australian Adult Industry Awards is an annual award given for outstanding Australian achievements in the adult industry since 2001. In 2004 the organizers of the Awards were persuaded to be a partner of Australian Taxation Office to get 16,000 sex workers of Australia to declare their income...
. It also won the Best amateur series award at the Adult Entertainment Expo. At the 2011 AVN Awards, Abbywinters.com was awarded Best Membership Site, for their second AVN Award.
External links
- Abby Winters website
- Abby Winters press website
- Abby Winters interview with Garion Hall at AdultDVDTalk.com (October 2007)
- Abby Winters interview with Garion Hall by Abby Ehmann (published in ErosZine 12-11-2007)