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Fucking Machines (also known as fuckingmachines.com and fuckingmachines) is a pornographic website founded in 2000 that features video and photographs of women engaged in autoerotic
sexual stimulation Sexual stimulation is anything that leads to sexual arousal or orgasm. This thing can be physical or of other senses, and is known as a stimulus. Sexual stimulation is a broad term, usually understood to mean physical touching of the genita ...
with penetrative sex-machines and
sex toys A sex toy is an object or device that is primarily used to facilitate Sexual stimulation, sexual pleasure, such as a dildo, artificial vagina or Vibrator (sex toy), vibrator. Many popular sex toys are designed to resemble human genitals, and ma ...
. Based in
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, California, the site is operated by Kink.com. Web entrepreneur Peter Acworth launched Fucking Machines on September 25, 2000, as his company's second website after Kink.com. Devices shown on the site were created with the intent to bring women authentic
orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling"), sexual climax, or simply climax, is the sudden release of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, characterized by intense sexual pleasure resulting in rhythmic, involu ...
s. Performers were instructed to allow themselves to be recorded experiencing pleasure. After the site applied in 2005 to trademark the phrase "fuckingmachines", the
United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency in the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark ...
(USPTO) denied the application and ruled that the mark was obscene.
Free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognise ...
lawyer
Marc Randazza Marc J. Randazza (born November 26, 1969) is an American attorney and InfoWars legal commentator, who specializes in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Early life and education Randazza was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, ...
represented the site and appealed the decision. ''
Orlando Weekly ''Orlando Weekly'' is a liberal progressive alternative newsweekly distributed in the Greater Orlando area of Florida. Every Thursday, 40,000 issues of the paper are distributed to more than 1,100 locations across Orange, Osceola and Semino ...
'' called his legal brief "one of the most entertaining legal documents you're likely to come across." The appeal was denied in April 2008 and the case was terminated. Randazza's argument in the case became known as ''The Fuck Brief''. The website has been the subject of attention from journalists and academics studying sexuality. Writer Regina Lynn highlighted the site's emphasis on communication, and
Annalee Newitz Annalee Newitz (born May 7, 1969) is an American journalist, editor, and author of both fiction and nonfiction. From 1999 to 2008, Newitz wrote a syndicated weekly column called ''Techsploitation'', and from 2000 to 2004 was the culture editor o ...
of ''
AlterNet AlterNet is a left-leaning news website based in the United States. It was launched by the Independent Media Institute. In 2018, the website was acquired by owners of '' Raw Story''. Coverage Coverage is divided into several special sections re ...
'' classed it as part of Porn 2.0. Violet Blue wrote in ''The Adventurous Couple's Guide to Sex Toys'' that it helped popularize the idea of machines aiding in sex acts. The 2008 edition of ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History'' described the aesthetic of the devices as disturbing. Jessica Roy wrote for ''
The New York Observer ''The New York Observer'' was a weekly newspaper established in 1987. In 2016, it ceased print publication and became the online-only newspaper ''Observer''. The media site focuses on culture, real estate, media, politics and the entertainment ...
'' that Fucking Machines' examples of orgasms were a form of
transhumanism Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates the human enhancement, enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies that can greatly enhance longevity, cogni ...
. Sarah Schaschek devoted a chapter to the phenomenon in ''Screening the Dark Side of Love: From Euro-Horror to American Cinema'', titled "Fucking Machines: High-Tech Bodies in Pornography". She observed, "Strictly speaking, the women in these videos are both the controllers and the controlled."


History


Film production

Peter Acworth founded Fucking Machines as the second website within his company Cybernet Entertainment, Inc., and it launched on September 25, 2000. Cybernet Entertainment subsequently began to use the name Kink.com for business purposes. The director and webmaster of the site, who uses the professional name Tomcat, received a university degree in film and media, and had experience with filmmaking and operating the sex-machines. He began work at Kink.com as a production assistant. He focused his direction style on filming the female participants experiencing sincere pleasure from the machines. The site features machines designed to bring women
orgasm Orgasm (from Greek , ; "excitement, swelling"), sexual climax, or simply climax, is the sudden release of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, characterized by intense sexual pleasure resulting in rhythmic, involu ...
s. Sarah Schaschek noted in ''Screening the Dark Side of Love'' that the majority of the film production crew members were female. Across its websites, Kink.com formed a values statement and set of guidelines for directors and performers, taking preventative measures against victimization. The site production staff developed a practice of interviewing performers both before and after the film sessions. Models appearing on Fucking Machines film shoots are instructed to be authentic and experience pleasure from the machines without acting. In 2007, Fucking Machines relocated with the other Kink.com sites to the San Francisco Armory. Film shoots take place in the basement of the Armory. Fucking Machines was featured at the 2007
AVN Adult Entertainment Expo The AVN Adult Entertainment Expo (AEE) is an adult entertainment convention and trade fair, trade show held each January in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada and is sponsored by AVN (magazine), ''AVN'' magazine. AEE is the largest pornography ...
in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, with a marketing tagline, "Sex at 350 rpm". They published a book that demonstrated inventions including "The Drilldo" and "The Double Crane". A device called the "
Cunnilingus Cunnilingus is an oral sex act consisting of the stimulation of a vulva by using the tongue and lips. The clitoris is the most sexually sensitive part of the vulva, and its stimulation may result in a woman becoming sexually aroused or achievi ...
Machine", which incorporated rubber tongues on a moving chain apparatus, was featured in 2007 as part of the Adult Treasure Expo in Japan at the
Makuhari Messe is a convention center in Chiba (city), Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, located just outside of Tokyo. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, it is accessible by Transportation in Greater Tokyo#Railway and subway, Tokyo's commuter rail system. ''Makuha ...
convention center. The Arse Elektronika sex and technology seminar, held in October 2007 in San Francisco, California, featured a robot from Fucking Machines called "Fuckzilla" in a live performance with one of the expo attendees. Kink.com signed a deal in 2007 with Pulse Distribution to sell material from Fucking Machines and its other sites to consumers in a DVD format. The first DVD distributed by the site in 2008 was titled ''Fucking Machines Volume 1'' and featured 211 minutes of material with performers Aliana Love, Michah Moore, Lexi Love, and Sasha Grey. By 2009 the website included 50 devices in its films. A 2009 article in ''
SF Weekly ''SF Weekly'' is an online music publication and formerly alternative weekly newspaper founded in the 1970s in San Francisco, California. It was distributed every Thursday, and was published by the San Francisco Print Media Company. The paper ha ...
'' was critical of the California state government for directing tax revenue towards classes on film production which were attended by Fucking Machines video editors. This article, in turn, was criticized by TheSword.com and characterized as "prudishness" by '' SFist'' and the '' San Francisco Bay Guardian''. The website asserts to its visitors that all performers engaged in sexual activities depicted in the videos appear of their own volition and feel bliss and gratification from the experience. The majority of new entrants to the adult film industry enjoyed their work with Fucking Machines because they discovered it was more socially acceptable to perform with a sexual device, rather than a human partner. Public relations manager for Kink.com Thomas Roche observed in a 2009 interview that Fucking Machines did not have a focus on
BDSM BDSM is a variety of often Eroticism, erotic practices or Sexual roleplay, roleplaying involving Bondage (BDSM), bondage, Discipline (BDSM), discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given ...
material. In September 2010 the site had a live filming with an audience of 40 spectators, followed by the introduction in November 2010 of an interactive format in which viewers could watch shoots and recommend devices for the participants. By 2012 the site had 500 hours of archival footage with adult film performers, including Alexis Texas, Flower Tucci, and Sasha Grey. As of January 1, 2020 the site has stopped posting new videos.


Trademark appeal

Fucking Machines filed a request in July 2005 to the
United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency in the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark ...
(USPTO) to secure its
intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...
rights for the mark "fuckingmachines", having met the first standard that the word was not in use by any other entity. The site became involved in a
trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a form of intellectual property that consists of a word, phrase, symbol, design, or a combination that identifies a Good (economics and accounting), product or Service (economics), service f ...
dispute when the USPTO refused to grant a trademark for the name of the site, asserting that it was obscene. The case for Fucking Machines' use of the mark was handled by
free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognise ...
attorney
Marc Randazza Marc J. Randazza (born November 26, 1969) is an American attorney and InfoWars legal commentator, who specializes in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Early life and education Randazza was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts, ...
. The decision of the U.S. government was determined by lawyer Michael Engel, who ruled: "Registration is refused because the proposed mark consists of or comprises immoral or scandalous matter. The term 'fucking' is an offensive and vulgar reference to the act of sex.  ... A mark that is deemed scandalous  ... is not registrable." The USPTO based its rejection on a 1905 statute. It had previously refused the applications of 39 marks for using the word "fuck" and five marks for using the word "fucking". Requests to trademark terms including "
shit ''Shit'' is an English-language profanity. As a noun, it refers to fecal matter, and as a verb it means to defecate; in the plural ("the shits"), it means diarrhea. ''Shite'' is a common variant in British and Irish English. As a slang ...
" had been turned down by the USPTO 50 times, and a mark using "
cunt "Cunt" () is a vulgar word for the vulva in its primary sense, and it is used in a variety of ways, including as a term of disparagement. "Cunt" is often used as a disparaging and obscene term for a woman in the United States, an unpleas ...
" was rejected. Trademarks including the word "
ass Ass most commonly refers to: * Buttocks (in informal American English) * Donkey or ass, ''Equus africanus asinus'' **any other member of the subgenus ''Asinus'' Ass or ASS may also refer to: Art and entertainment * Ass (album), ''Ass'' (albu ...
" had been accepted 135 times, and the word " bitch" was approved in several trademarks as well. In response to the USPTO decision in the case, Randazza stated, "The trademark office has gone off the deep end with 2(a) rejections." Section 2(a), 15 USC §1052(a) disallows requests for marks that have "immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter". Cybernet Entertainment, LLC, filed an "amendment and response to office action" of the USPTO decision in August 2006. Randazza introduced his brief with: "The Applicant respectfully challenges this characterization of the word 'fucking' and its allegedly 'offensive and vulgar' root: 'fuck'." ''
Orlando Weekly ''Orlando Weekly'' is a liberal progressive alternative newsweekly distributed in the Greater Orlando area of Florida. Every Thursday, 40,000 issues of the paper are distributed to more than 1,100 locations across Orange, Osceola and Semino ...
'' commented on Randazza's brief in the case: "Randazza  ... is frequently involved in free-speech cases – is fighting the federal government for your right to trademark any dirty word you please. And his filing in the case is one of the most entertaining legal documents you're likely to come across." Randazza's argument in the case came to be known as ''The Fuck Brief''. Randazza argued: Randazza explained to ''Orlando Weekly'' that he used the word "fuck" routinely throughout his brief as part of his argument that the term is used in a variety of ways. He cited related terms, including " fuck-me boots", and frequent use of the word "fuck" in films including ''
Wedding Crashers ''Wedding Crashers'' is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by David Dobkin, written by Steve Faber and Bob Fisher, starring Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Christopher Walken with Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper and ...
'', ''
Casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
'', and ''
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' is a 2001 American satirical stoner buddy comedy film written, co-edited, and directed by Kevin Smith and produced and co-edited by Scott Mosier. The film is the fifth set in the View Askewniverse, a growing ...
''. The reply by Engel for the USPTO acknowledged the routine use of the word, and simultaneously asserted its scandalous nature: "Although the word is frequently used, it still is considered shocking in most formal or polite situations. For example, the word is bleeped out on basic cable, and broadcasters can be fined by the FCC for letting the word go out on the airwaves." He argued that the word was restricted in the workplace and by government regulations. Randazza filed an appeal on June 5, 2007, and the matter was scheduled for a hearing before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Acworth told ''Orlando Weekly'' he considered ceasing appeals when the mark had initially been rejected by the USPTO. He said he was not intending to be the adult industry's representative for First Amendment rights. Acworth stated to ''Orlando Weekly'', "Marc talked me into it. I'm not normally this sort of person. Marc thought he had a pretty good shot at it. I'm really going on his advice.  ... I have no real agenda with it." Adult entertainment attorney Robert Apgood stated he agreed with the actions of Acworth and Randazza. Apgood pointed out he had observed a significant increase in applications to the USPTO that were rejected because their potential trademarks were deemed "scandalous" by the government. He stated, "It's really quite unfortunate that the executive branch is now reaching deep into the machinations of government to further its 'legislation of morality' agenda. It is truly encouraging to see the likes of Acworth and Randazza take up this sorely needed fight." The appeal was denied in April 2008 and the case was terminated. The application status was last listed as "abandoned" for failure to respond by the appealing party.


Analysis

Advice columnist
Dan Savage Daniel Keenan Savage (born October 7, 1964) is an American author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBTQ community activist. He writes Savage Love, an internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column. In 2010, Savage and his husband, ...
recommended the site in 2004 for readers interested in learning more about sex-machines. In the 2005 book edited by Carly Milne ''Naked Ambition'', writer Regina Lynn commented on the site's emphasis on communication. Author Timothy Archibald consulted the operators behind Fucking Machines for research on his book ''Sex Machines: Photographs and Interviews''.
Annalee Newitz Annalee Newitz (born May 7, 1969) is an American journalist, editor, and author of both fiction and nonfiction. From 1999 to 2008, Newitz wrote a syndicated weekly column called ''Techsploitation'', and from 2000 to 2004 was the culture editor o ...
of ''
AlterNet AlterNet is a left-leaning news website based in the United States. It was launched by the Independent Media Institute. In 2018, the website was acquired by owners of '' Raw Story''. Coverage Coverage is divided into several special sections re ...
'' visited the set of Fucking Machines in 2006 and classed the production as part of the phenomenon of Porn 2.0. Author Violet Blue wrote in her 2006 book ''The Adventurous Couple's Guide to Sex Toys'', "Fucking Machines put machine sex on the map and into the popular consciousness, paving the way for a few individual companies to mass produce somewhat affordable sex-machines that couples and individuals can purchase and use at home." In her 2007 book ''Naked on the Internet'', author Audacia Ray wrote of the fucking machines: "In the fusion of female sexuality and technology, the curious and enthralling thing about these toys is the way in which they cast sexuality and technology together in a near miasma of technophobia and technofetishism." Jon Mooallem of ''
The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazi ...
'' described the website as "dedicated entirely to women having sex with large and distressingly elaborate machines." In an article for ''
Wired News ''Wired'' is a bi-monthly American magazine that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. It is published in both print and online editions by Condé Nast. The magazine has been in publication since its l ...
'', Regina Lynn noted that the presence of Fucking Machines at the 2007 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo was a move to the mainstream for the website: "The website has been around for years, in that grey area of 'indie internet kink' the Industry doesn't quite understand. Yet this year it is smack dab in the middle of the mainstream porn." Bonnie Ruberg of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' wrote in a 2008 article that Fucking Machines replaces the insecurity men feel about vibrators and transform it into a turn-on. The 2008 edition of ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History'' described the aesthetic of the devices on the site as harrowing. In his 2009 book ''From Aches to Ecstasy'', author Arnold P. Abbott commented of the devices used by the site: "Fucking Machines are mechanical marvels which had to be invented by the
Marquis De Sade Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade ( ; ; 2 June 1740 – 2 December 1814) was a French writer, libertine, political activist and nobleman best known for his libertine novels and imprisonment for sex crimes, blasphemy and pornography ...
himself." He observed that some of the machines, "would seem to be replicas to those used during the Inquisition to extract false confessions". In a 2012 article for ''
The New York Observer ''The New York Observer'' was a weekly newspaper established in 1987. In 2016, it ceased print publication and became the online-only newspaper ''Observer''. The media site focuses on culture, real estate, media, politics and the entertainment ...
'', journalist Jessica Roy characterized Fucking Machines' examples of orgasms as a form of
transhumanism Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates the human enhancement, enhancement of the human condition by developing and making widely available new and future technologies that can greatly enhance longevity, cogni ...
. In the book ''Screening the Dark Side of Love: From Euro-Horror to American Cinema'' (2012), Sarah Schaschek devoted a chapter to the phenomenon, titled "Fucking Machines: High-Tech Bodies in Pornography". Schaschek concluded,
While antipornography feminists usually criticize that female performers are visually and practically degraded by men in heterosexual pornography, it is hard to uphold such an impression in the FuckingMachines videos. Given that all pornography eroticizes difference, and given that sexual fantasies usually require clearly drawn roles of dominance and submission, the women of FuckingMachines seem to resist at least a few of these categories.  ... Strictly speaking, the women in these videos are both the controllers and the controlled.


See also

*
Censorship in the United States In the United States, censorship involves the suppression of speech or public communication and raises issues of freedom of speech, which is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Interpretation of this fundamen ...
*'' Cohen v. California'' *
Freedom of speech in the United States In the United States, freedom of speech and expression is strongly protected from government restrictions by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, many state constitutions, and state and federal laws. Freedom of speech, also calle ...
*'' Fuck (2005 film)'' * '' Fuck: Word Taboo and Protecting Our First Amendment Liberties'' *'' The F-Word'' *
Mechanophilia Mechanophilia (or mechaphilia) is a paraphilia involving a sexual attraction to Machine, machines such as bicycles, motorcycles,Alleyne, Richard (26 October 2007)."Man Who Had Sex with Bike in Court" ''The Daily Telegraph''. Retrieved 18 Februa ...
*
Object sexuality Object may refer to: General meanings * Object (philosophy), a thing, being, or concept ** Object (abstract), an object which does not exist at any particular time or place ** Physical object, an identifiable collection of matter * Goal, an ai ...
*
Sexual fetishism Sexual fetishism is a sexual fixation on an object or a body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has a fetish is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regarded as a mental disorder if it causes significant psychoso ...
* Sybian *
Teledildonics Teledildonics (also known as cyberdildonics) is the name coined for virtual sex encounters using Computer network, networked electronic Sex toy, sex toys to mimic and extend human sexual interaction. The term became known after technology critic an ...


Footnotes


References


Further reading

Legal commentary *
alternate link
*
alternate link
alternate link at
Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons, or simply Commons, is a wiki-based Digital library, media repository of Open content, free-to-use images, sounds, videos and other media. It is a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. Files from Wikimedia Commons can be used ...
: :File:2007 July 24 USPTO appeal response to Fucking Machines.pdf * Scholarly analysis * * *


External links


Official websiteFuckingmachines
case history at
United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency in the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark ...
{{Portal bar, Erotica and pornography, Freedom of speech, Internet, Language, Law, United States Culture of San Francisco American erotica and pornography websites Internet properties established in 2000 Obscenity controversies United States trademark law Machine sex