18 U.S.C. § 2257 XML Standard

The unification of compliance document exchange realized.

In a Nutshell

The standard is simply an XML format that multiple parties agree on to exchange their data.

It is similar to how a PDF file works. Anyone who can read or write a PDF file can use it. It does not matter who created it or where it came from. The 2257xml™ standard is the same. Once a document is in the standard format, it can be used by anyone.

A Better Way

Currently, there are as many different storage formats for §2257 documents as there are producers and retailers in the United States. Everyone has their own database that requires its own upkeep. This fragmented approach is costing the entire industry too much time and money to maintain.

With a standard specification, the §2257 compliance record for each piece of content must only be created once. That document can then be used by the entire industry for compliance. No duplication of work.

100 Series vs. 200 Series

The standard is divided into two major series. Producers may adopt whichever series most closely matches their current record storage solution.

100 Series

A separate document (JPG, GIF, PNG or single-page PDF) is included with each performer for age verification.

This series is used by producers who store individual documents for verifying each performer's age. For example, a piece of content with 10 performers in it will include at least 10 different documents, one for each performer.

200 Series

A single document (multi-page TIFF or PDF) is included with each record that contains age verification for each and every performer.

This series is used by producers who store a multi-page PDF file that is a compilation of every piece of information needed for verifying every performer's age. For example, a piece of content with 10 performers in it will include a single document, containing 10 (or more) pages, one for each performer.