from www.nydailynews.com – Dozens of adult video and bookstores could be forced to close up shop – or go legit – after a judge upheld stricter regulations, city officials said Tuesday.

The ruling is bad news for X-rated businesses that sought to sidestep a 1995 zoning law by devoting 60% of their floor space to non-adult material.

The city tweaked the law in 2001 to go after those shops, saying their compliance with the 60/40 zoning rules was a sham because their main focus was porn.

The owners responded with a legal challenge, and the city was barred from enforcing the new provisions while it played out in court.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Louis York ruled the city can shut down adult-oriented businesses that were taking advantage of the old loophole.

“Many of these so-called ’60/40′ establishments are shams created by adult businesses in an attempt to avoid complying with the law – and we will continue to hold them accountable,” said John Feinblatt, the mayor’s criminal justice coordinator.