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| - Two top French porn companies on Thursday said they would adopt ethics codes, in a new turn for an industry hit with claims of abuse, including rape, by female actors. "Amateur" video site Jacquie et Michel said it would immediately adopt an ethics code "allowing French producers to formally guarantee they've taken all the necessary measures" for protection of and consent by actors. One top provision of the code will be letting performers know they have the right to refuse any sex act. Jacquie et Michel said failure to uphold the code would be grounds to block distribution of films and for the group to break off dealings with producers. Earlier Thursday, porn producer Dorcel had said it had launched development of the country's first-ever ethics charter for the industry. The company said it had asked porn actress-turned producer Liza del Sierra to work on the issue with a sociologist and a lawyer who has defended porn stars in court. They will interview industry professionals, including actors and actresses, make-up artists and medical and other support staff. The charter will set out how to deal with issues of consent for sex, actors' physical and psychological health, legal protection, human dignity, and distribution rights. It is meant to be drafted by the first quarter of next year and put to the industry as a whole for adoption. Del Sierra told AFP there were too many instances of abuse, and that the drafting of the charter was a rare chance to reform "an environment that has no (professional) associations, no labour unions." "Our entire industry, ourselves included, still have much work to do regarding our production methods," Dorcel said in a statement. French prosecutors recently opened a rape investigation against Jacquie and Michel, with four people in the focus of a probe for "rape, serious procuring and serious human trafficking". Other sites had been under investigation since July after feminist groups collected testimonies from several women. fbe/mlr/cb/tgb/pvh
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