> Brett Rockman posted the following this week: How About Freedom of Fair Business?

Let’s all stop for a moment and bring awareness to an issue that has permeated our industry in a far too negative way. Allow me to ask, how is it that no one is publicly condemning the business practices of Derek Hay of L.A. Direct Models? So many people have told me all the ways they’ve been wronged by this guy. For those of you who don’t already know, Derek has been “Black listing” individuals (talent) by declaring they cannot work with “his” girls. In doing so he is taking massive amount of work away from those people. He has also “Black listed” location owners by preventing shoots at their houses by simply declaring that “his” girls won’t work there. I don’t think many people are shocked reading this because it’s common knowledge throughout the industry. Readers please verify the “posted names” that Derek’s company L.A. Direct Models has in the office; of talent “his” girls are not allowed to work with. The real question is not how can he do it but how is it that we let him do it? The answer is that most people don’t get involved in anything unless it directly affects them. Those that were around a few years ago remember how difficult it was to organize talent-press meetings to discuss the medical concerns in the industry. So it should come as no surprise that Derek has gotten away with this unfair business practice.

This may sound like a “bad-guys” scene from an episode of the old TV show “The Untouchables” or a Gestapo meeting in one of those war movies but it’s not. In fact, this topic pales in comparison to the stories we’ve all heard about this guy from others in the industry. This type of unfair business practice is still alive and well today. We don’t mind following 2257 regulation updates and we even follow up on all these “puppet gossip stories” all over the internet; but no one looks at this individual who has wrecked havoc on our industry while at the same time providing an otherwise seemingly good service. Why does he get away with what he does? Because he offers a service that many companies need. How then do we deal with inequality in the work space in this industry? This may prove a more challenging question than any of the health related questions we dealt with 2 years ago.

Who am I to speak up? Many know that I am owner of Rockman Entertainment, a medical doctor on the AIM advisory board, former Marine, and columnist on avninsider.com, and many know that I’m compelled to take on important industry issues when they arise. Well this issue seems important enough now to bring attention to. In what seemed like an honest good service company we witnessed the growth of a corporation. Anyone see the movie “The Corporation”? Watch it and know that a corporation concerns itself with maximizing profit at any cost. Also a corporation is not interested in individual people but in efficiently generating the most amount of profit humanly possible. A corporation often has ‘limited liability’ and answers essentially to no one. Perhaps it’s a false rumor that Mr. Hay is not even listed as the president of L.A. Direct Models. If so, isn’t that strange for someone who makes all the decisions for this company?

I’m concerned that most of us feel no obligation to rock the boat. We are guilty of letting someone operate in our industry that represents everything OPPOSITE of what freedom is all about. Someone who’s greed for money and desire to avenge his enemies is so intense he shows no accountability or remorse.

Why this letter and why now? It’s been over a year since we at Rockman Entertainment stopped supporting this man. Unfortunately, he has both great girls and good people working for him in the office who do as they are told. Let this letter serve as a reminder that the things you read about may someday show up at your door. Some things are ultimately worth fighting for. And in the end that’s what the adult industry is all about; fighting for what we believe in. In our case it’s freedom of expression and freedom of speech but please let’s not forget Freedom of Fair Business Practice. It is just as wrong to violate ‘Labor Laws’ as it is to violate ‘Freedom of Speech’ rights. Like the awareness of HIV we were forced to deal with a few years ago likewise it’s time to be aware of freedom of fair business practice. We need to stick together not suppress each other.

If anyone has a solution or an answer to this problem please let us all know. Sometimes it’s convenient to be in the adult industry and enjoy the freedoms that come with it. After all, if this was a mainstream setting he would have tons of reporters inquiring about his tactics and he would be forced to answer or avoid all the questions. That’s quite a nice freedom to enjoy which makes me wonder; when we fight for freedom whose freedom are we fighting for?

>Lazerus posts on ADT: Brett, your post is a little confusing; to clarify matters, and stop this tread from quickly turning into a pointless flame (which it probably will anyway), perhaps you could clarify the reasons why you believe Hay’s blacklisting tactic violates the business practices (or “labor laws,” which most of us don’t think exist) within the industry, and why you think they represent him maximizing his profit–sure, it amounts to bullying tactics on his part, but in other businesses (since you make such analogies), a company that makes such outlandish demands quickly isolates itself in the market, and buyers simply move on to alternative suppliers, rather then tolerate the bullshit. The only time this doesn’t happen is when one company develops a monopoly (ever heard of Comcast?) over a service, and consumers lose the power to choose.

> Harri Patel posts: This really reminds me of the unfortunate Kent/Selena Silver call to jihad against Wankus a couple of years ago. It’s really totally counterproductive to go public with this kind of rambling missive about what would appear to be a private business dispute. Sure, go ahead, write your rant out, get it all off your chest, but then fold it up, put it in your desk drawer, and go to bed. Putting it all over the internet won’t do anything but make it all the more unlikely that a resolution of the dispute will ever be reached.

So, are you suggesting that Hay has such a monopoly now? Is his talent SO SUPERIOR to everyone else that the industry can’t function without him? And if the answer is yes (or even maybe), is this ultimately a reflection on the lousy and unprofessional agents that pretend to offer the same services as much as it is on Hay’s own cut-throat style?

Mind you, I have no stake in this, and have no particular affection for Hay or his on-screen persona. I have my own opinions about adult agents in general, but that is a rant for another time. Still, if everyone thinks so negatively of Hay, then it would seem a simple matter to stop dialing him up for talent.

> Brett Rockman writes:Lazerus, Do you think that the laws of the state don’t apply to you and I because we are in porn? Or to an agency licensed by the state of Califonia?? Please refer to the California B&P (Business and professions code) Section 17200 with regard to California unfair competition law and do a google search for “California Talent Agency Act”. Brush up on your knowledge talk to people in the industry and then post an opinion.

> Derek Hay replies: Derek Hay responds: I am a busy man and don’t have as much time as Mr Rockman for long letters on such matters. I’ll simply clarify a few facts.

Direct Models stopped working with Mr Rockman and his company a little over a year ago after he tried to pay two of our girls he had hired through us to work for his company at the Erotica LA show, by giving them DVD’s rather than a check. Resolving the issue required the assistance of our attorney which cost more money than the talent fees that were subsequently recovered, which will no doubt be of amusement to Mr Rockman, but many business owners will recognize that this is a necessary though irksome cost of business sometimes. Understandably we have declined to do business with Rockman Enterprises since. Subsequently, Mr Rockman has written and publicized many similar diatribes against me personally and the company I own, it appears in some way to try to elicit some kind of support or rally for his cause, though even I struggle to understand what that is, other than the bitter taste of his having met someone who would stand up to very questionable and predatory business practice.

I have long been a supporter of our talent and make no pretense otherwise. I guarantee talent that they will be paid for the work that is booked through the offices of Direct and have several times in the five years we have been trading, put my hand in my own pocket to ensure this. With regard to talent, there is only one male performer with whom Direct Models girls do not work, – Brett Rockman. Individual girls make their own choices of course, and we have no bearing on their choices.

With regard to locations, Mr Rockman is speaking of a one time instance approximately 18 months ago in which one of our girls became involved with a location home owner, whom she met on set whilst working and this developed into an abusive relationship. The ensuing drama pulled both us and other of our girls into it, and we felt that it was better if our girls did not work at that location. Almost without fail, every company to whom this was explained, felt our position on this was entirely reasonable. Some others found the homeowner to be very difficult to work with and decided to shoot elsewhere for their own reasons. None of this involved Mr Rockman in any way.

Brett Rockman writes: I would hate to shock you Derek with the laundry list of people who would differ with you regarding these allegations. Perhaps it’s better to allow you to think they haven’t. But at the risk of allowing this to go back and forth let’s clarify a few things; I would post the cancelled checks of the 2 girls who got paid for Erotica L.A.2005 as fully agreed to prove my point so careful what you say. If you are going to post details of a transaction or any matter please check your facts first. Secondly, I have NEVER posted any comments about you or anyone else for that matter on any site! I do have better things to do with my time. I do have a column on avninsider.com (rockman ramblings) where I discuss industry topics from a producer’s standpoint as they asked me to do and again I have never singled out anyone in those articles. Finally remember we started boycotting you a year ago for a reason and the letter was intended to prevent the spread of the very things you do and to encourage you to change your ways. As for our anonymous fan, trust me, the article was not intended for entertainment….