The Los Angeles City Council has refused to impose a moratorium on filming permits for the city-based porn industry, fearing that this could lead to costly lawsuits against the city.

"As much as many of us are appalled by that activity, they are completely willing and capable of defending themselves with the highest paid lawyers to fight for their civil rights and, to date, they have been able to fend off these kinds of challenges," Councilman Richard Alarcon said at a session.

"I don't think there's a majority or even close to a majority (on the council) that are even interested in this subject," Alarcon added.

Earlier in the day, AIDS activists appeared before the City Council, calling the city to stop issuing permits to San Fernando Valley-based adult industry after an adult film performer was recently tested positive for HIV. Adult film star Jenna Jameson said: "I always told them that it was better to practice safe sex. Is one movie worth your life?" She called the industry a "ticking time bomb," and noted her production company gave female performers the option of using condoms.

"We ask that this council place a moratorium as soon as it's possible on the issuance of any film permits for the producers of adult films until those producers come into compliance with the law," Brian Chase, a lawyer for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, told the council.

A male porn movie performer was tested positive for the deadly disease, officials at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation confirmed to the Los Angeles Times. The Sherman Oaks clinic that primarily serves the porn industry, vowed to issue a mandatory report to Los Angeles County public health officials within days.

The news has send the entire porn industry in the Los Angeles area reeling, with several adult film companies have voluntarily stopped production while resisting calls to have performers wear condoms, insisting that wearing condoms is bad for business.