Nothing in life is free, and there is no such thing as “free porn.”

Nothing in life is free, and there is no such thing as “free porn.” All ethically produced porn requires resources to create, including performers (workers), and one key element of ethical behavior includes compensating workers fairly for services rendered. In contemporary for-profit environments, this includes recompense coincident with agreed upon terms, which may include agreed upon trade.

“Free porn” sites are generally platforms for piracy — content stolen and showcased without permission from or remuneration to content owners. When consumers opt to view content on piracy based “free porn” tube sites, content owners are unable to recoup the costs of production. This then renders them unable to create new projects, which results in less work for performers.

There are many reasons why consumers may opt to support piracy via “free porn” sites — everything from wider social shame and stigma about one’s sexual proclivities to simple unawareness. Regardless however of how it’s rationalised, exploiting the creative labor of others via viewing “free porn” on piracy-based tube sites is as antithetical to ethical as one can get.

Nothing in life is free. Pay for your porn. You are contributing to the decimation of ethical standards in porn and in wider society overall if you do not compensate the creative artists who contributed to the products you enjoy.

According to the 2005 documentary Inside Deep Throat, that infamous 1970s pornographic movie was filmed on a budget of US$25,000 and went on to make a staggering US$600 million.

But those days are long gone for the porn industry.

Faced with increasing competition from free websites, a group of stars and studio recently banded together to create a new campaign called Pay For Your Porn.

With the slogan “Porn is worth paying for,” the campaign is not dissimilar to those devised by Hollywood and the music industry urging consumers to pay for their entertainment and not use illegal downloads.

Vice quoted U.S. porn starlet jessica drake, who helped kick off the campaign.

“People don’t realise illegal downloading of copyrighted digital content results in a loss of jobs, lower wages, higher unemployment rates and higher taxes,” she told her social media followers. “Theft is also a violation of personal consent and ethics. Support the entertainment you love, the companies and stars who make your favourite movies, and the economy. Please pay for your porn.”

The free sites have been a doubled-edged sword for the stars and studios — raising their profile as the same as cutting into profit margins.

“[The free sites are] taking money away from all different areas,” drake told Vice. “A lot of people don’t realise there is a lot involved in making a movie beyond the two people they see having sex on camera.”