Followed by over half a million people on Instagram, adult film actress Khalamité is one of the most popular French women in the genre. But fame comes at a price: With just a few clicks, it is now possible to find on the internet many pirated – and therefore free – versions of some of her videos that were originally behind a paywall. "At first, I was fed up seeing my content leak," said the 27 year old from Lyon. "It lasted a week, until I realized it was a losing battle from the start."

These leaks reflect a significant shift in piracy within the very particular world of pornography. To understand the mechanisms at work, we must pause and consider the small world of independent creators like Khalamité. In recent years, some women, and a few men, have set up their own production structures for photos and videos in order to control their distribution – sold through platforms such as OnlyFans or MYM.

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