Originally Posted by chadknowslaw

1. Location of you or your servers does not matter. If you serve US customers and take money from them, you submit yourself to US laws. However, if you are in Canada, the FBI does not have the authority to inspect you and the RCMP is not about to inspect your records, particularly because 2257 has conflicts with Canadian privacy laws.

2. Electronic data base is perfectly acceptable, so is a file folder system. As long as the ID's are indexed by last name of the model and cross-indexed to the shoots, so that you can look at a model's record and see what shoots she was in or look at the record of a shoot and see what models were in it, you are pretty much there. If the records are electronic, it just needs to be in a separate folder on your hard drive. You are NOT required to have a separate computer, although it is actually a good idea, and I see Dell sells a desktop new for $299 USD now. If you are using a paper filing system, have your records segregated -- at least in their own drawer if you do not have enough to fill an entire filing cabinet

3. A model release is not part of the required 2257 records. The model release shows that you have the right to sell the images; 2257 is about showing that the images were taken when the model was at least 18. I have heard other attorneys say that if you have a model release in your 2257 data that you will go to jail. I say they must live in fantasyland. A good model release supports your database because it shows the date of filming, it should have the model affirming her birthdate, and that the ID was legitimate. If you do not have model releases in your 2257 database don't add them in, but if your database has model releases you do not need to pull them out either.

4. If you cannot match the model in the images to the picture on the ID, that is a problem. Of the few inspections that happened, one of the issues the FBI brought up was illegible ID's and the pictures on the copies of the ID becoming black blobs.

5. One ID is sufficient. If you are shooting young models, it is good practice to get 2 IDs. The most common fake ID is that of an older sibling. However, if you get your older brother's ID to do out drinking, does that older brother also give you his bank card, his student ID, his passport?? Make sure you get one good primary ID but it is a good idea to get something to back it up. Think of yourself as a bouncer at a bar. If that person came to you with that ID, would you let them in??
One ID is sufficient. 2 is always good. You can never be too sure

Ok, time for me to get to bed. BTW, if you see me at XBiz or Phoenix Forum buy me a diet coke.

:-)