Andres Guadamuz, a reader on intellectual property law at the University of Sussex, says U.S. companies are “faced with some choices on how much they should pursue adult-themed fan art.” A few, like Disney, will be more aggressive in order to protect their family-friendly reputation. Blizzard, however, may find most litigation isn’t worthwhile. “My guess is that they must be playing the numbers,” he says.
The digital “actors” in these scenarios can do and be anything, of any sexual orientation, with any combination of physical traits. That’s a potential upside, Lehmiller thinks, for transgender and nonbinary people usually seen through a “fetishized lens” in mainstream porn, or anyone plagued by insecurity when looking at the body types traditionally showcased there.characters.