Consumer Electronics Show 2012

Jesse Jane (left) is on a short list of performers who have staying power. To make this list you need to have a big fan base and be able to boost sales simply by having your face on the video cover.

L.A. may be the porn capital of America, but don't confuse it with Hollywood. Few adult entertainment stars have made the transition to the big screen, but this ambitious and persistent bunch did.

Fabian Thylmann lacks the icon status of Hugh Hefner or Larry Flynt, but he has quietly become one of the industry's most powerful people over the past two years. How?

Joslyn James, a porn star, gained fame as as one of Tiger Woods’ mistresses during his 2009 cheating scandal. Today, she's carving a small business niche as a community-focused entrepreneur.

To use or not to use, that is the question. It's hardly a rhetorical one for the porn industry. With Los Angeles on the verge of making condom use mandatory in adult films, a turning point is imminent.

While there are a few adult entertainment companies that are publicly traded, most are firmly closed to civilians, the industry’s term for outsiders. But one company, Pleasure Dynasty, is opening the filmmaking process.

When the movie industry slapped adult films with an XXX rating, porn companies came to embrace the scarlet letters. But when the nonprofit corporation that oversees Internet addresses rolled out the .xxx domain, the reception was unequivocally unenthusiastic.