“Normal People” Producers Issue a Takedown Request After Sex Scenes From The Show Surface On Pornhub

The producers of Hulu and BBC’S popular Normal People series are striking back at Pornhub after a 22-minute compilation of various sex scenes from the 12-part series found its way on the adult site.

Ed Guiney, executive producer of Normal People and co-founder of Element Pictures, spoke to Variety about his disdain for the footage leaking without permission.

“We’re hugely disappointed that excerpts from the series of ‘Normal People’ have been used in this way. It’s both a violation of copyright and, more importantly, it’s deeply disrespectful to the actors involved and to the wider creative team.” He went on to add, “We have taken appropriate steps to require that the content be removed from the platform with immediate effect.”

The video, which surfaced on Pornhub last week, has since been removed following a takedown request from show execs. However, the full video is still available on other adult sites. It is not yet clear which other sites have been presented with takedown requests. However, if they fail to comply, the producers may then seek additional legal solutions, which could include obtaining an injunction for material to be removed.

“Pornhub is fully compliant with the law. We respect all copyright requests, and as soon as we become aware of the existence of these types of videos on our site, we have them removed.” Corey Price, VP of Pornhub, revealed to Variety.

While most legitimate video-sharing sites in countries such as the U.S. and U.K. typically comply with takedown requests, illegal platforms typically do not, and going after them aggressively could result in an expensive neverending battle.

“You can try to take down the sites, but the commercial reality is that it is expensive to do — and another site will quickly pop up in its place,” a law expert who asked to remain anonymous told Variety. The legal source went on to add, “This is drawing more people to the show. Out of the negative, you have got to take the positive — that exposure is possibly a help if you are trying to sell the show across the world.”