The porn is violence industry rally in Edinburgh

From The Scotsman see full article

Marchers will "reclaim the night" when they take to the city's streets for a rally highlighting violence against women.

Both women and men will take part in the event to raise awareness of domestic abuse and a culture in which women feel unsafe walking alone at night.

The march, which will be led by Commotion Women Drummers, will start in Lothian Road at 7.30pm on October 11 and then journey to the Meadows.

Reported crime in the area of Middle Meadow Walk has risen from 68 incidents in 2003-4 to 166 last year.

A rally will then take place involving speakers from Rape Crisis Scotland, the White Ribbon Campaign and victims of abuse.

A spokeswoman for organisers the Edinburgh Feminist Network said: A woman is more likely to be attacked by someone she knows in her own home than by a stranger, and yet the walk home after a night out is one that most women fear. Why do women still feel the need to be chaperoned home, and what can we do about this?

White Ribbon - an organisation backed by Amnesty International that urges men to stand up to violence against women - will also join the march. Scottish co-ordinator Iain Wallace said it was crucial men supported the march. He said: We will be holding a discussion at the Wash Bar on The Mound, where we want men to talk about various issues, from matters like rape and assault all the way to the prevalence of things like soft porn and lap dancing clubs, and how it impacts on our perception of women.
 

Beyer Recommends: Fanny Hill

 
Fanny Hill

From the Telegraph see full article

Written by Andrew Davies, the Bafta-winning dramatist of Bleak House and Pride and Prejudice, the programme sticks closely to John Cleland's 18th-century tale of a country girl who finds sexual fulfilment through a life of debauchery and promiscuity.

15-year-old Fanny is played by the 22-year-old unknown Rebecca Night. Fanny is shown naked, losing her virginity and fighting off a rapist. Fanny and several of the other female characters appear topless during the drama and scenes of orgies that follow.

John Beyer, the director of Mediawatch-UK accused the BBC of investing in sleaze so it could raise the profile of BBC4, the digital channel on which the programme will be screened.

He said: At a time when resources are short I am surprised that the BBC wants to invest in this kind of sleaze. It is just a promotion for prostitution.

 
Store indicted for novelty fancy dress costumes

Based on an article from The Kansas City Channel see full article

A grand jury has indicted a Johnson County store for displaying supposedly obscene costumes.

According to the indictment, Spirit Halloween is accused of promoting obscenity that is harmful to minors. The store, which caters to both children and adults, is facing four misdemeanor counts.

KMBC's Maria Antonia reported that some of the costumes available at the store include a well-developed woman in a wet T-shirt contest, a giant version of the male organ, a snake charmer with a snake coming out of a man's pants, and one called Country Lovin', which shows a man with a sheep on his front side and what looks like an exposed rear end.

Two other businesses in Johnson County were also indicted this week for promoting obscenity: Hollywood at Home for possessing and intending to sell supposedly obscene videos; and Priscilla’s for possessing and intending to sell an supposedly obscene video claiming to involve teens and sex toys.

The grand jury was called after an anti-pornography group, the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, successfully petitioned and requested a grand jury to investigate local businesses.

Jericho to be released uncut in German with the consequential restricted marketing

From Game Politics see full article
Jericho is available from Amazon UK for release 26th October 2007  

UK publisher Codemasters has confirmed that it will not change the “artistic vision” of its Jerico game in an effort to reverse the decision of the German censors.

The USK claimed to be displeased by “brutal scenes” contained within the game.

Following a review by the USK ratings board, which declined to give an official rating, Codemasters has decided not to change the artistic vision of the renowned author and filmmaker Clive Barker though cuts and extensive changes, the publisher told Next-Gen.
Football Manager 08

Codemasters respects Mr Barker’s creative ideas, despite the German distribution and marketing consequences for the title. Therefore Codemasters will release the PC version of Clive Barker’s Jericho in its original form on the 26th of October for adult gamers and Clive Barker fans.

 
Jack Thompson in trouble for filing real gay sex pictures on public record

From Game Politics see full article

That gurgling sound you hear could be Jack Thompson’s legal career swirling down the ‘loo.

The frequent video game critic, already facing professional misconduct charges from the Florida Bar which could see him stripped of his license to practice law, has outraged a U.S. District Court judge by including images of men having sex in a document filed with the court last week.

Norm Kent, who publishes the National Gay News website, was criticized by Thompson in last week’s court filing for distribution of hardcore porn to anyone of any age. Not content to make that alleged point in writing, Thompson attached several gay porn pictures to his motion with Judge Jordan. The pictures apparently do not come directly from the National Gay News site, but rather are contained on sites linked from NGN’s adult links section.

In any case, His Honor was not amused. In an order issued on Monday, Judge Jordan directed Thompson to show cause as to why he should not face sanctions, including possible contempt charges.

Judge Jordan wrote: The attached exhibit, which includes several graphic images of oral and genital sex between adult males, was filed electronically in the docket in this case, without prior permission from the cout… there was no need for Mr. Thompson to file these graphic images in the public record. A simple reference to the website and its alleged links would have sufficed…

Through his actions, Mr. Thompson made available for unlimited public viewing, on the court’s docketing system, these graphic images.

For this reason, by October 5, 2007, Mr. Thompson shall show cause why this incident should not be referred to the court’s Ad Hoc Committee on Attorney Admissions, Peer Review, and Attorney Grievance for appropriate action.

Update: Thompson's Underage Son Admits to Buying Mature Games

From Game Politics see full article

In a press release, Thompson claims that his 15-year-old son has once again purchased an M-rated (17 and older) game at a South Florida retailer.

Readers may recall the September 13th story in which Thompson claimed that Junior purchased BioShock at a local Best Buy.

This time around Thompson says it was Halo 3: Miami attorney and anti-violent video game activist today did a successful sting on Target Corporation. His fifteen-year-old son, on the first try, was able to buy the “Mature-rated” Halo 3 without producing any age ID at the Dadeland Station Target.

Junta silences internet and forces news journals to print propaganda

From DVB see full article

Many privately-owned weekly news journals in Burma have decided to stop publication in protest at official demands to publish pro-government propaganda.

Burmese authorities are ordering the publications to print articles written by state media and other stories blaming the All Burma Student’s Democratic Front and the National League for Democracy for the protests.

They are forcing us to publish their announcements and propaganda in our publications and we can’t let them do that to us, said a Rangoon journalist.

Kumudra, Seven Days, Pyi Myanmar and many other news journals have decided to stop or suspend publication, and have already informed the censor board of their decision. Rather than give the real reason for their decision, they blamed the ongoing instability which is preventing journalists from being able to go out and report.

Based on an article from the Guardian see full article

The Burmese government apparently cut internet access today in an attempt to staunch the flow of pictures and messages from protesters reaching the outside world.

An official unbelievably said that the internet is not working because the underwater cable is damaged.

From the Reuters see full article

Internet access was restored briefly in military-ruled Myanmar on Saturday a day after a Web blackout believed to have been imposed to stop reports and pictures of a major crackdown reaching the outside world.

Internet users inside the former Burma were able to see domestic Web pages as well as send e-mails outside the country for a couple of hours before connections failed again.

   
Verizon censored pro choice text message subscription service

From New York Post see full article

Admitting it made a mistake, Verizon Wireless has opted not to block pro-choice text messages from an abortion rights group.

The cellphone company blamed the ban - which made headlines in several newspapers yesterday on "a dusty internal policy."

The issue arose after Verizon Wireless got a request from Naral Pro-Choice America to distribute text messages that cellphone customers could subscribe to.

But Verizon rejected the request on the grounds that it had the right to block text messages that may be considered controversial or unsavory to any of our users.

Soon after word of the ban became known, consumers started flooding Verizon Wireless with complaints.

Top executives quickly got together to consider the controversy and issued a statement yesterday saying the messages would be permitted.

Naral rep Ted Miller noted that Verizon has approved text-messaging programs using short codes for many other vendors and organizations: The bottom line is they got caught in the act. What Verizon did reflects how a corporation can unilaterally try to censor messages from people who have asked to receive them.

John Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, which handles telecommunications issues, said, I am particularly concerned by its ability and apparent willingness to interfere when customers choose to receive legitimate and legal communications from an organization.

 
China bans sexually suggestive advertising

I'd have thought the Chinese would have run out of things to ban but they seem to keep finding more.

From the BBC see full article

China's broadcasting watchdog has banned all "sexually suggestive" advertising on television and radio.

Adverts for products like sex-related health supplements and sex toys will be prohibited, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (Sarft) said. "Vulgar" adverts for things like breast enhancements and female underwear will also be banned, Sarft said.

The watchdog said the move was taken as the adverts were "socially corrupting". In a circular, Sarft said that adverts featuring suggestive language or scantily-clad women were "detrimental to society": Sexually suggestive ads and bad ads not only mislead consumers seriously and harm public health, but are socially corrupting and morally depraving, and directly discredit the radio and TV industry.

Broadcasters that do not obey the rules would face severe penalties, it said.

Sarft has been tightening its grip ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's five-yearly congress in October.

 
Home Secretary blames drinking on TV for all the country's ills

From the Telegraph see full article

Television programmes that glorify drunkenness will be branded unacceptable as part of a "zero-tolerance" approach to anti-social behaviour, Jacqui Smith has announced.

The Home Secretary began a campaign to shame television companies into taking the programmes off-air, saying they encourage alcohol misuse.

Alcohol misuse can cause real damage to people, she told the Labour conference. And incidentally, why celebrate drunken behaviour on our television screens?

Her aides made clear that there were no plans to legislate or regulate, with the aim being to shame programme makers into realising that they were damaging young people's lives.

Ibiza Uncovered, which is shown on Sky television, follows the drinking and other antics of young people on holiday and Booze Britain, which is produced by Granada and shown on Bravo, follows groups of mainly young people "on the town".

In 2003, the charity Alcohol Concern warned that soap characters were seen drinking too often in television pubs. It said scenes on television involving drinking had almost doubled since the 1980s.

 
Gay Last Supper advert winds up christian nutters

Based on an article from CNS News see full article

Organizers of San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair have portrayed Christ and his disciples with  gay theme in the event's promotional advertisement, and the nutter group, Concerned Women for America (CWA), is complaining about the hypocrisy of it.

The bread and wine representing Christ's broken body and lifegiving blood are replaced with sadomasochistic sex toys in this twisted version of Da Vinci's The Last Supper, CWA said on its Web site.

Gay activists disingenuously call Christians 'haters' and 'homophobes' but then lash out in this hateful manner toward the very people they accuse, said said Matt Barber, CWA's policy director for cultural issues.

CWA is calling on California politicians to publicly condemn this unprovoked attack against Christ and His followers: We further challenge the media to cover this affront to Christianity with the same vigor as recent stories about cartoon depictions of Mohammed and other items offensive to the Muslim community.

The Folsom Street Fair describes itself as "the world's largest leather event". We hope to see the fairgrounds filled with people in their most outrageous leather/rubber/fetish attire enjoying the worlds largest and best loved Leather fair, the Web site says.

Based on an article from CNS News see full article

The leader of the Catholic League on Thursday urged more than 200 religious organizations to join his group in refusing to buy products from the Miller Brewing Company because of the company's sponsorship of the Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco this weekend.

Never have we experienced greater corporate arrogance than in this dispute with the Miller Brewing Company, said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League: This all started when we learned that Miller was sponsoring an event that featured an obscene ad thrashing the Last Supper. After being pressured, Miller offered a lame statement of regret and said it was pulling its logo from the ad.

Donohue called the Folsom Street Fair an incredibly outrageous and palpably anti-Christian event.

Miller Brewing told Cybercast News Service that although it has supported the Folsom Street Fair for several years, we take exception to the poster the organizing committee developed this year. We understand some individuals may find the imagery offensive, and we have asked the organizers to remove our logo from the poster effective immediately.

To top it off, when we informed them that some of the money being raised at this festival was being funneled to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

The Catholic League president described the Sisters as "an anti-Catholic group" that is holding a mock Last Supper dinner. The group is not an actual church order but is instead a group of homosexuals who dress as nuns and use names such as "Sister Hysterectoria" while taking part in events that promulgate universal joy and expiate stigmatic guilt.

Accordingly, Miller leaves us with no options, Donohue said. We are calling on more than 200 Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu organizations to join with us in a nationwide boycott of Miller beer.

 
Detailing the Byron Review into protecting children from games and videos

It looks like consumers of games and video are missing from the list of those being consulted.

From the DFES see full article

Byron Review: Statement by Dr Tanya Byron

Helping parents and their children get the best from new technologies while protecting children from inappropriate or potentially harmful material is crucial in today’s fast moving world. That’s why, as a clinical psychologist with many years of experience working with children, young people and their families, I am very pleased to have been asked by the Government to conduct such an important review. The internet and video games have huge potential for children’s play and learning. Parents welcome the benefits technologies can bring but they also want their children to be safe and many have concerns about what their children may come across online or whether the videogames they are using are appropriate.

I hope to identify measures that help all parents feel confident that their children are using these great new opportunities in a way that’s appropriate for their age and development. As part of my clinical experience I have had contact with very vulnerable and at risk children and young people, who can be more affected by harmful or inappropriate material in games or on-line. But I do not propose to focus the work of this review solely on those most extreme cases.

This review is about pulling together the shared responsibility we have as parents, society, government and industry to protect our children and young people from harm. I will be engaging with all the people who have a role in this, in direct conversations with the industry and through focus groups with parents, children and young people. I will also be issuing a call for evidence in early October so that everyone with an interest will have the opportunity to contribute to the review and ensure that my conclusions are based on robust evidence and informed opinions. My final report is due at the end of March 2008.

If you would like to send comments to the review please use the following email address: Byron.Review@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk

 
Philippines censors overturn ban on campaigning film on appeal

From GMA News.tv see full article

The Philippines Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) took back its "X" banned rating on a short independent film which tackled the abduction of agriculturist Jonas Burgos, his family have said.

The previously banned Rights is a collection of public service advertisements containing 15 short works by Filipino independent filmmakers supporting calls for Jonas's release.

Jonas's brother Jose Luis "JL" Burgos said the second review committee of the MTRCB gave the film Rights an "R-13" meaning that it can be watched only by people over 13 years old.

He said Jonas's supporters trooped to the MTRCB to appeal the original ban.

One of the short films entitled Where Is Jonas? was included in Rights and is now available for viewing at online video sharing site YouTube.

It features a photo of Jonas's father, the late freedom fighter Jose Burgos, smiling in the company of two boys. However, the boy on the right flickers, then disappears...

   
Ohio internet restriction law struck down

From Whiotv.com see full article

A federal judge in Dayton has rejected a state law that restricts the dissemination of sexually oriented material over the Internet.

The law bars people from sending communications harmful to minors if the sender knows or should know that the recipient is under age.

In his ruling, Judge Walter Rice said the law violates the First Amendment because it was too broadly written and could have ensnared adults having sexually frank discussions in chat rooms.

He said there's no way to ensure that minors aren't part of the conversation. The law was challenged by bookstores, publishers, music and video retailers and newspapers.

A spokesman for Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann said the state is considering its options.

Junta tries to shut down internet and phone links

From the Guardian see full article

The Burmese junta was last night desperately trying to shut down internet and telephone links to the outside world after a stream of blogs and mobile phone videos began capturing the dramatic events on the streets.

In the past 24 hours observers monitoring the flow of information have noticed a marked downturn, with the reported closure of cybercafes and the disconnection of mobile telephones.

I was getting emails three days ago but now I seem to have lost contact, said Vincent Brussels, head of the Asian section of Reporters Without Borders: Those who can still access the internet are finding it very slow and hard to send pictures.

Read full article

   
ASA find against advert where husband is slapped for leaving toilet seat up

From the Daily Mail see full article

A television advert that 'trivialised' domestic violence has been banned after complaints from viewers.

The commercial for MFI shows a couple rowing after the man leaves a toilet seat up. The woman yells, You've done it again, haven't you? before slapping him twice.

It then emerged the scene took place in an MFI showroom, along with a voice-over, saying: When your bathroom's designed by MFI you'll feel right at home.

It breached seven advertising guidelines and should never have been broadcast, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). It was one of a group of five TV adverts for the furniture chain that prompted 217 complaints to the ASA.

The ASA said: Several found the ads distressing and particularly offensive because they believed they trivialised the issues of child and domestic abuse. The woman's action of slapping her husband twice as punishment for leaving the toilet seat up gave the impression that aggression and violence enabled people in everyday life to get their own way. The scene of domestic violence was likely to cause serious or widespread offence and could be seen to condone intimidation, domestic violence and aggression as an acceptable way to resolve issues.

The ASA found the commercial had breached the advertising code relating to offence, violence and cruelty, personal distress, mental harm and scheduling.

None of the complaints about the furniture chain's four other commercials were upheld by the watchdog.

   
US Congress committee discusses 'degrading images' in the music industry

From Google News see full article

Former gangsta rapper Master P, whose real name is Percy Miller, told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing that he is now committed to producing clean lyrics. The angry music of his past, he said, came from seeing relatives and friends shot and killed.

But he said now that he doesn't want his own children to listen to his music, so if I can do anything to change this, I'm going to take a stand and do that. I want to apologize to all the women out there. I was honestly wrong.

But rapper and record producer Levell Crump, known as David Banner, was defiant as lawmakers pressed him on his use of offensive language. I'm like Stephen King: horror music is what I do, he said in testimony laced with swear words. Change the situation in my neighborhood and maybe I'll get better, he told one member of Congress.

The two rappers were joined by music industry executives and scholars. They disagreed over who was to blame for sexist and degrading language in hip-hop music but were united in opposing government censorship as a solution.

If by some stroke of the pen hip-hop was silenced, the issues would still be present in our communities, Crump said.

At the hearing, music videos showing scantily clad women were played; music executives in dark suits testified on the uses of the "bitch","ho" and "nigger", and black civil rights leaders talked of corporate exploitation.

From Imus to Industry: The business of stereotypes and degrading images was the title of the hearing, referring to former radio host Don Imus, who lost his job after making derogatory comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team.

Record company executives defended the parental guidance labels and edited versions they said keep the more controversial material away from children and stressed that uniform standards or censorship won't work.

We have a responsibility to speak authentically to our viewers, said Philippe Dauman, president & CEO of Viacom Inc. He said his company takes an active role in editing obscenities out of music videos and excising gang symbols or portrayals of violence, but we also believe that it is not our role to censor the creative expression of artists.

Clive Barker's Jericho game refused censor's certificate in Germany

From Game Politics see full article
Jericho is available from Amazon UK for release 26th October 2007  

It is being reported that Cive Barker's Jericho, the upcoming horror action game from CodeMasters, has been refused classification by the USK, Germany’s game rating organization.

This means that it cannot  be sold to minors or sold via online orders or be displayed in stores or be advertised.

Heise reports that console makers Sony and Microsoft won’t market a game without a USK classification, so it appears that only the PC version of Jericho will be available and only to those over 18.

The game has been passed uncut by the BBFC with an 18 rating in the UK

Police seize art from gallery over concerns of the depiction of children

From the Telegraph see full article
See more about the Nan Goldin's Thanksgiving
See also Telegraph Comment

A photograph by a controversial American artist which is part of Sir Elton John's private collection has been seized by police from a gallery on suspicion it may have breached child pornography laws.

The image, which featured two young girls one of whom was sitting down with her legs wide apart, was taken by the renowned photographer Nan Goldin.

The shot, from the artist's Thanksgiving series, was to be exhibited at the Baltic Modern Art gallery, Tyneside, this week along with some of her other work. But the day before it was due to be viewed by the public, police came and removed the image over fears that it might be breaking the law.

It is thought that one of the assistant directors at the centre called in the authorities after a private view as he was concerned that the picture could be offensive.

The picture is now being examined by lawyers at the Crown Prosecution Service.

Thanksgiving is described by the Baltic as an installation of photographs which documents Goldin's life from 1973 to 1999 - "a micro-retrospective of her career."

No Japanese newspapers will takes advertising for royal exposé book

Based on an article from the Guardian see full article

The author of a controversial biography of Crown Princess Masako has accused the Japanese government of censorship after newspapers refused to carry advertisements for the book.

The release of the English version of Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne this year sparked protests from the Japanese foreign ministry and the imperial household agency, which accused the author of insulting the royal family and demanded an apology.

Ben Hills, an Australian journalist, claims that Masako, who gave up a promising diplomatic career to marry the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Naruhito, in 1993, is suffering from clinical depression.

The book's publisher in Japan, Daisan Shokan, was refused advertising space in all of the major newspapers, including the Asahi Shimbun, which positions itself as the country's leading liberal voice. One paper said it would not take an ad because [Hills] had not responded to the government protests, said Daisan Shokan's president, Akira Kitagawa. "I find that reasoning very strange."

The foreign ministry predictably denied there had been pressure on newspapers from it or the royal household.

Children's fare only at tea time please according to Ofcom

From the Times see full article

ITV must not replace children’s programmes with scenes of graphic murder, the broadcasting regulator said.

Ofcom upheld complaints over ITV’s decision to show repeats of Midsomer Murders at tea-time. Viewers complained that the programme, shown at 4pm during half term, included strong language and scenes of graphic violence likely to disturb children. This meant that the material was clearly not suitable for children and therefore inappropriately scheduled.

Iran to only allow the media to report on political groups approved by the government

From AsiaNews.it see full article

Under new press rules, writing about any political parties or groups will require government approval.

Online press agencies and private websites will also fall under the power of government censorship. The Ahmadinejad administration is thus poised to turn the screw on the media and limit press freedom even more than it has so far.

Commander Alireza Afshar who serves as deputy interior minister for political affairs, said that publications and other media outlets are forbidden from writing about parties or political groups that have not obtained a license from the Commission 10 on Political Parties. For this purpose, a list of all parties and political groups that have obtained a license will be sent to the press.

Prior to Afshar’s announcement, a government spokesperson stated that the Ahmadinejad administration would amend the Press Law to expand its jurisdiction to include online news agencies and websites.

In reporting the matter Rooz, an opposition online publication, noted that the president is exceeding his authority since the Guardians Council had explicitly ruled that changing the law was unconstitutional and a violation of the Sharia as laid down in a letter by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

 
Nigeria's Kano state goes censorship crazy

From All Africa see full article

Kano State Censorship Board has extended the suspension earlier imposed on film production in the state from Three to six months until 21 February, 2008, just as it reeled out a massive number of measures to restrict the media industry.

IThe Board under its former executive secretary, Alhaji A.A. Kurawa, imposed a three-month suspension after a sex video clip of a popular actress, Maryam Hiyana, went public.

Addressing a press briefing, the new executive secretary of the board, Malam Abubakar Rabo Abdulkarim, explained that the extension of the suspension became necessary in order to enable his administration introduce new measures for the 'improvement' of film production in the state, adding that the policy would be vigorously monitored by the board to ensure stringent penalties for defaulters.

Rabo stated that the board has created additional guidelines for registration of production companies, artistes, internet cafes, publishers and authors. According to the new laws, production companies must have a minimum of N2.5 million as working capita; all members of the production crew shall also have a minimum qualification of a diploma or certificate in a related field from a recognised institution. The board would now censor films on CDs and VHS cassettes and all films marketed in the state,.

Rabo revealed that the board has cancelled singing and dancing of any kind in Hausa films, and no producer would be allowed to go to location for filming without his script being approved by a recognised consultant and vetted by the board.

Members of the Kano State Association of Printers have also been advised to make sure that before they print any book or poster meant for public use they must obtain a clearance from the board.

Meanwhile, according to the executive secretary, stakeholders of literary works such as authors, publishers, bookshops, poster sellers, distributors and vendors are expected to register with the board in compliance with the requirements of the Censorship Board Law 2001: A person who therefore exhibits, publishes, sells or distributes, in any manner whatsoever, a literary work without Censorship Board certificate shall be liable to face the wrath of the relevant provision of the Law.

He then called on the stakeholders and the people in the state to support the task force in its purpose of sanitising the industry.

Ofcom rejects complaints about photos used in Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel

From Broadcast Now see full article

Ofcom has rejected 62 complaints over Channel 4's controversial documentary Diana: The Witnesses in the Tunnel, ruling that the use of photographs of Princess Diana's fatal car crash was justified by their context.

The complaints largely centred on the use of the photographs and the purpose of the programme. Some viewers said screening the programme was disrespectful to the wishes of Prince William and Prince Harry, who had called for it not to be broadcast.

Ofcom said Diana's death was a sensitive issue and that any documentary treatment of it could offend some viewers.

But it said the images and themes of the programme were in line with viewers' expectations of an investigative C4 documentary and that the use of the photographs was therefore not gratuitous: The photographs were integral to the credibility of the argument being made and the corroborated first hand testimony.

Police whinge at music video web sites

From the Independent see full article
See also Channel U

Senior members of the Metropolitan Police have laid the blame for a surge in violence in recent years outside club nights – particularly East London events associated with grime, the British rap genre – on videos showcasing violence and thuggery.

Police are concerned that the internet is not subject to the same stringent broadcasting regulations as other forms of media. Their anger has forced commercial operators such as Channel U to defend themselves from the charge that they are exploiting lax regulation on the internet to show videos that are a vehicle for violence.

Superintendent Leroy Logan of Hackney Police is clear on the role videos play. The essence of grime is simply a reflection of these kids's experiences. But there are those out there who are keen on hijacking the scene, and using these videos to spread negativity, anger, and aggression. And whether the messages are coded or explicit, they often play themselves out on the street.

The regulation of websites that are offshoots of other media is contradictory. For example, when appearing on Sky, Channel U is subject to the Broadcasting Code. But when Channel U gives airplay to material on its website, it is not subject to the same guidelines.

Ofcom's broadcasting remit does not extend to regulating the internet. If it looks and feels like TV, then we have a role to play, says Simon Bates, a spokesman for Ofcom: But with videos on the internet, there isn't the same expectation of reasonable protection, and we have no powers to control output. This means that in the case of Channel U, material that could only be broadcast on TV illegally can be broadcast on the internet without fear of the same laws. The same is true of YouTube, and indeed of any other site.

As Bates says: the internet does not respect national borders. If it seems unsatisfactory that material that cannot be broadcast on television at any time can be broadcast on the internet 24 hours a day, and that the regulation of websites like Channel U's is left to the discretion of the owners, then that may be the price of innovation.

If we did have stricter laws governing the internet, it's unlikely fantastic sites such as YouTube or Google Video would exist at all, says Bates.

 
Jack Thompson tries to get Halo 3 blocked as a nuisance

From Game Politics see full article
See more about Halo 3

Nutter Jack Thompson is seeking to have Halo 3 declared  a public nuisance in Florida.

With the video game event of the year - the Halo 3 launch on 25th September, game-hating attorney Jack Thompson is apparently seeking to re-create one of his greatest non-triumphs.

Although he failed miserably with a similar bid against Rockstar’s Bully in 2006, Thompson hopes to have a Florida court declare Halo 3 a public nuisance and block its sale.

Once again, Thompson is basing his claim on a Florida statute which defines public nuisances as that which: …tend[s] to annoy the community, injure the health of the citizens in general, or corrupt the public morals

As with Bully, Thompson clearly hopes the court will grant him a hearing. Although after last year’s well-publicized Bully performance, which earned Thompson a Bar complaint from presiding Judge Ronald Friedman, that seems unlikely.

BBFC arrange seminar to explain game censorship process

Based on an article from GamesIndustry.biz see full article

Following the recent attention given to the BBFC censorship process over the Manhunt 2 ban, the organisation has announced a seminar explaining how they go about banning games.

The BBFC is aware of the increased production costs of next generation video game development and the tight deadlines which all developers and publishers face. The classification process needs to be as efficient as possible, the BBFC said.

Our seminar, Classifying Games at the BBFC, will explain how the process works. It will cover the legal framework for games regulation, how classification decisions are reached and the practicalities of the job. The seminar aims to promote a better understanding of the BBFC and equip the games industry with everything needed to take best advantage of the service.

Classifying Games at the BBFC will be held on October 30 at 3 Soho Square in London.

Belgium bishops whinge about TV advert

From the BBC see full article
See also offending advert

Catholic bishops in Belgium have protested against a TV ad depicting Jesus as a pot-bellied hippy picking up half-naked women in a nightclub. The Catholic Church says this sort of portrayal of Jesus is disrespectful to believers and that it is wrong to use him for advertising.

The advertisement is being aired on the country's main TV channel to promote youth channel Plug TV. The TV advertisement shows a long-haired hippy Jesus grooving along as he tries to get into a nightclub and is refused entry by the bouncers. Jesus makes the sign of the cross and sweeps aside the bouncers, shrinking them so they are left in his wake as dwarves.

This Plug TV version of Jesus then drinks whiskey at the bar and magically turns two brown haired frumpy women into blonde babes wearing bikini tops and red horns like devils.

The Jesus character then disappears into a huge limousine with the women but his attention is distracted by an advertisement for Plug TV before he is recalled by God who is standing on a cloud, wearing a T shirt with "Number one dad" written on it.

The God figure tells Jesus off for wanting to watch Plug TV as well as everything else - saying "you still want more".

The Catholic Church has expressed its disapproval to the TV channel - saying advertising is not the same as journalism and should not share the same concerns about freedom of expression. The Church believes this advertisement crosses the limits of respectability.

Plug TV however argues it is not blasphemous but contains a message about a laid-back Jesus addressing youth.

 
US cable company blocks Alicia Silverstone advert

From Digital Spy see full article
See also PETA advert

A new advert for animal rights group PETA that shows Alicia Silverstone partially naked has been pulled by a cable TV company to avoid 'offending' viewers.

In the ad the actress is seen walking out of a swimming pool and gives a message about living a vegetarian lifestyle.

It was scheduled to air for the first time last Wednesday, but Texas-based company Comcast Cable has stopped the commercial from being transmitted.

A spokesperson for the organisation claimed that 'nudity' was the reason for the decision to scrap the campaign.

 
Censors ban films about killings and disappearances

From ABS CBN see full article

Filmmakers are up in arms against the latest decision of the Philippines Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), stopping the commercial showing of independently produced short films on human rights in the country.

The MTRCB reviewed the 30-second to one-minute films, which tackle unexplained killings and enforced disappearances involving activists and journalists, among others.

The following day, the board informed the Philippine Independent Filmmakers Cooperative (PIFC) that the short films were rated “X”, which means they are deemed unfit for public viewing.

Scenes in this film are presented unfairly, one-sided, and undermine the faith and confidence of the government and duly constituted authorities, thus, not fit for public exhibition, explained MTRCB chairman Ma. Consoliza Laguardia.

The 13 short films contain excerpts from news video footage from the era of martial law, the killing of former Sen. Ninoy Aquino, and demonstrations during the Marcos administration, up to the killings of militant leaders, and the abduction of others, including Jonas Burgos.

The 13 short films titled RIGHTS were supposed to be shown yesterday at the Indie Sine cinema in a mall in Ortigas Center, in commemoration of the 35th anniversary of martial law and International Day of Peace.

The MTRCB gave the petitioner five days to file their appeal for a second review. Campaigners say that the appeal will be lodged.

Multi-awarded filmmaker Carlitos Siguion-Reyna of the Directors Guild of the Philippines Inc. (DGPI) and Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) said the MTRCB decision against the showing of the RIGHTS is indicative of “an abusive law”.

YouTube cedes to nutters armed with DMCA takedown notices

Based on an article from The Inquirer see full article

YouTube seems to be thinking that it is better to censor videos that talk about evolution than it is to deal with all the nutters demanding that they take them down.

Latest in the purge was a group called the Rational Response Squad which is incandescent with rage that bible bashers managed to shut them down with spurious DMCA claims.

Shedloads of copyright requests were sent in by the good Christians of the Creation Science Evangelism Ministries. This bunch are headed by the currently-imprisoned tax evader Kent Hovind.

According to Richarddawkins.net the outfit has made it its mission to send shedloads of take down request to anyone who does not agree with Hovind's interpretation of the Bible. Particularly those Evolutionists who quote Hovind's own words as evidence of what they believe. Hovind is on record saying all the material at his site is not copyrighted. But when the evolutionists quote him in their YouTube posts his followers claim that it belongs to them.

Hovind's disciples are exploiting a loophole in the DMCA which forces a takedown without any review. It becomes up to the defendant to prove that it is their copyright and that is a long and expensive process.

Rationalresponders.com is getting so hacked off with the state of affairs that it is preparing to sue Creation Science Evangelism Ministries for unfair practices.

Swiss nutters call for nationwide media censorship

From the Swiss Info see full article

The Swiss Pro Juventute foundation has launched a petition demanding better protection of children and youngsters from violence in the media.

The organisation is calling for the creation of an independent body to set nationwide age limits on content provided by the entertainment industry, such as DVDs or computer games.

At a news conference in Bern on Thursday Pro Juventute pointed out that children and teenagers have almost unlimited and uncontrolled access to violent images via television, their computers or mobile phones.

The proposed national certification board would evaluate films, videos, DVDs, computer games and other media content and determine nationwide age limits.

Currently, 26 different cantonal authorities take on this responsibility.

This can lead to absurd situations, according to the head of canton Basel City's justice department, Guy Morin: It makes no sense to limit entry to a film to those over age 18 in Basel, and then set that limit to 12 in other places. We lack credibility.

Jolanda Bertozzi of Pro Juventute said: Our concern is the daily repetition of violent images, and the extended periods of time spent playing a computer game. If you add news and films to the mix, it becomes difficult for a child to understand the nature of violence.

Limiting access to content is only part of Pro Juventute's proposal. It says that youngsters and parents must be educated about violence in the media. It's difficult for parents to educate their children because rapid changes in technology mean that they can't keep up, said Bertozzi: Parents often have little idea of the content that is proposed to youngsters.

The computer gaming industry lobby group, the Swiss Interactive Entertainment Association has rejected the proposal. It said further rules are unnecessary because existing measures have proven sufficient to protect youngsters. The association's guidelines set out age and advertising limits for entertainment software.

Background: Pro Juventute

As background about the Pro Juventute foundation, it seems that they made a name for themselves by dealing with a previous social problem, namely gypsies

From  Voices Unabridged

In its effort to erase the nomadic way of life of its gypsy population, Switzerland kidnapped almost 600 Yenitsche children from their parents over a 50-year period, from 1926 until 1973. Pro Juventute, a foundation created in 1912 with the stated goal of working for the good of children, young people and their families, placed such children with host families and in orphanages, psychiatric hospitals and even penal institutions.

Parents who opposed the abduction of their children were themselves put under legal guardianship and the Society systematically erased all traces of such proceedings, so that parents could not find out where their children had been placed.

Thailand to ban YouTube videos about coup politics

From the Bangkok Post

The Department of Special Investigation under the Justice Ministry is seeking a court order to block clips recently posted on video-sharing website YouTube that accuse Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda of masterminding the Sept 19 coup.

In the couple of days, we will seek a court order to block those links deemed to cause public confusion and threaten national security, head of the unit Yanaphon Youngyuen said: While awaiting the court order, we are seeking cooperation from internet service providers to block those links.

There are two parts of the postings, entitled The Crisis of Siam I and II. They were posted by iunknown79.

 
Australian Police to black list crime related websites

From Crikey

The Australian Government continued down the slippery slope towards internet censorship yesterday by introducing bill to give the Australian Federal Police the power to nominate terrorism or crime related websites for filtering.

The internet industry code currently governing online content already provides for filtering of pornographic and offensive content. But this filtering is voluntary, not mandatory.

At the moment, internet service providers who want to be designated "family friendly" by the Internet Industry Association have to offer their customers one of a range of approved PC or server side commercial filters. And these filters are periodically updated according to an Australian Communications and Media Authority black list. Yesterday’s bill would merely allow the AFP to add terrorism or crime related sites to that black list. But why would aspiring terrorists and criminals willingly install a family friendly filter onto their PC?

Legal censorship silences blogs

From AOL Sports see full article

Tim Ireland’s Bloggerheads has been shut down by his hosting company after legal letters from Uzbeki prospective owner of Arsenal, Alisher Usmanov.

The legal company sending out the letters is Schillings. Craig Murray’s blog, linked to the fracas, is on the same server, and was also shut down, as was Boris Johnson’s and Bob Piper’s. Craig Murray's book, Murder at Samarkand, seems to be at the centre of the legal battle but this book has now been published for sometime without being contested.

Several dozen sites are now screaming censorship at Usmanov and Schillings for their actions.

 
Offended by Ibiza art exhibition

From News.com.au see full article

The Roman Catholic bishop of Ibiza has demanded that a collage depicting the late Pope John Paul II being sodomised be removed from an exhibit held at a former church.

The work is one of three collages by Ivo Hendriks that are part of a showcase of art by 15 Dutch artists with ties to Ibiza made over the last 50 years that opened on September 7 and is due to run until the end of the month. The other two collages also depict religious figures in homosexual positions.

Bishop Vicente Juan Segura said the works "offended Catholic sentiment'' and he called for their: immediate and urgent withdrawal. He threatened to take the issue to court if his demand was not met. The bishop claims that Ibiza town hall had violated the terms of the 1997 agreement which allows it to use church buildings since it had not informed the church of the contents of the exhibit as required.

Ibiza's town hall, which approved the exhibition, said it would not remove the works. Ibiza has never and will never exercise any form of censorship of artistic expression,' the town's councillor for culture, Sandra Mayans, was quoted as saying.

 
AT&T agree to block internet content as requested by MPAA

From Slashdot see full article

Ars Technica is reporting that the MPAA is trying to convince major ISPs to do content filtering.

Now, merely wanting it is one thing, but the more important point is that 'AT&T has agreed to start filtering content at some mysterious point in the future.'

Given that AT&T already has the ability to wiretap everything for the NSA, it was only a matter of time before they found a way to profit from it, too."

 
Bangladeshi cartoonist arrested

From The Peninsula see full article

Baton-wielding police broke up a protest by hundreds of Islamists in the Bangladeshi capital yesterday against a magazine which published a cartoon they said hurt Muslims’ religious feelings.

Police waded in to halt a march by about 500 demonstrators chanting “death to the editor” and “hang the cartoonist” near Dhaka’s national mosque.

The protest came two days after the offending cartoon was printed in Alpin, a weekly magazine published by Prothom Alo, the country’s leading Bangla-language daily. The Prothom Alo has published an apology.

Police arrested the cartoonist, Arifur Rahman, at his Dhaka home on Tuesday, after Muslim religious leaders complained.

The Information Ministry said it had seized copies of the offending magazine issue. The interim government has pledged to punish the offenders, but urged the people to remain calm and show patience. Predominantly, Muslim Bangladesh, however, does not have any blasphemy law.

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Party in a statement yesterday said the left-leaning daily had intentionally printed the cartoon to hurt Muslims.

Meanwhile, an international press freedom body yesterday called for the immediate release of the Bangladeshi cartoonist detained for allegedly insulting Muslims. Reporters Without Borders appealed to the military-backed government to release Rahman, who was detained following the publication of his cartoon in a satirical weekly magazine: The government should not yield to pressure from extremist leaders who are trying to politicise the case. Rahman should not be made a scapegoat. He must be freed.

 
Australian nutters look to organise their vote

From News.com.au see full article
See also www.australiavotes.org

Poltical parties fielding candidates in the election have been asked by the Australian Christian Lobby to reveal their positions on issues such as abortion, gay marriage, cloning and pornography.

A letter sent by the nutter group to all parties last week asks for a response to 25 policy questions, which will be included on a website soon to be launched, www.australiavotes.org.

Evangelical Christian churches, which have rapidly grown in popularity, have indicated they are prepared to be active in the election, particularly in Queensland, western Sydney and Tasmania. Parties that don't reply to the letter have been warned that their lack of response will also be noted on the site.

As well as parties' stances on gay marriage, adoption and a national ban on X-rated pornography, ACL also sought position statements on industrial relations and climate change.

ACL also asked parties about their views on the Lord's Prayer.

The preamble to Australia's constitution states that our nation is 'humbly relying on the blessing of Almighty God', the letter said: Does your party commit to maintaining the convention of opening parliament each day exclusively with the Lord's Prayer?

Parties have also been asked whether they would overturn a ban on sending aid money to countries where it could be used to pay for abortion devices, services or drugs.

Australian National University professor of political science John Warhurst said the religious lobby had not played such a public role in an election to date.

It's an attempt to be more organised along American lines but with a distinctly Australian flavour to it, he said.

Blocks from around the world

From the Guardian see full article

A Turkish court again ordered telecom authorities to block access to the popular video-sharing website YouTube over videos that allegedly insulted the country's leaders.

The decision followed a complaint by a resident in the eastern city of Sivas that the site hosted videos containing insults against Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the army, the Anatolia news agency reported.

The court ruling has been forwarded to the state regulatory body, the Telecommunications Board, to be put into effect, the agency said.

YouTube said in a written statement, carried by Anatolia, that it was ready to cooperate with Turkish authorities to resolve the dispute.

From Global Voices see full article

Iran has blocked access to Google search engine and Gmail Google’s free webmail service, Mehr news agency reported today. I can confirm these sites have been filtered, said Hamid Shahriari, the secretary of Iran’s National Council of Information.

It was reported that access to Google was later restored

From Global Voices see full article

It was reported that access to Google was later restored

The Don’t Block The Blog reported today that access to the popular blogging platform blogspot.com, which is owned by Google Inc, has been blocked again in Pakistan:

Today, for some odd reason, Google has suddenly reverted back to its original IP address, which has been on the block list since March of 2006. This move has resulted in the blocking of all internet traffic to the blogspot.com domain. Millions of blog readers in Pakistan now are unable to read or and interact with any of these websites.

From CPJ see full article

The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about the ongoing Vietnamese government harassment of Peter Leech, the owner and publisher of the popular business news Web site Intellasia.

On September 12 Vietnam’s political police unit, known as PA25, and the Culture Ministry ordered the Australia-registered and Hanoi-based news service to close down or face punishment for operating an “illegal” Web site. Between September 7-10, Vietnamese authorities blocked nearly all local access to the Web site, including through the main state-run Internet service provider. In response to government threats, the online news service in recent days changed its domain name from Intellasia.com to Intellasia.net and is now based in Perth, Australia.

Intellasia published a report yesterday alleging that the Vietnamese authorities had put in place filters that blocked all Vietnam-based e-mail traffic to and from the Web site’s U.S.-based server. The report also claimed that Vietnamese authorities had in recent weeks attempted to overload and crash Intellasia’s server. The Web site’s U.S.-based server crashed from this notorious hacking technique on September 3.

BBFC details controversial scene

From Aeropause see full article
Mass Effect is released on 23rd Nov 2007 according to UK Amazon

The BBFC seem to have come to the rescue of US gamers wanting to know about a much discussed lesbian hot coffee scene in a game called Mass Effect.

The BBFC kindly published a detailed explanation of their 12 rating:

Mass Effect is a role playing game and shooter set in the future in space. The player controls either a male or female American soldier through a long and involved story line, making choices along the way. The game has been classified at '12' for moderate violence and one sex scene.

The violence is undetailed and takes place in a futuristic setting. The single sex scene is brief and undetailed, although there is breast nudity in one version of the scene. The sex scene is triggered by the player making a series of choices about becoming more than friends with a colleague. If playing as a male character the scene can take place between him and a human woman or a humanoid female alien. If playing as a female character the scene can take place between her and a male human or a female humanoid alien.

The game also contains use of the word 'bastard' and at least one aggressive use of the word 'bitch'. Both of which are acceptable under BBFC Guidelines at '12'.

Surely the 12 rating will put paid to any controversial hype surrounding this game.

 
Murder appeal blaming Grand Theft Auto

From Game Politics see full article

A man who brutally murdered two police officers and a police dispatcher in 2003 will appear in court later today to appeal his conviction.

Devin Moore currently sits on death row in Alabama. His attorneys will argue before the state’s Court of Criminal Appeals that chilhood abuse and video games led him to commit the rampage killing inside the Fayette police station.

Moore, now 22, claimed the video game Grand Theft Auto and childhood abuse influenced his decision-making. His theory was rejected and the video game defence was disallowed during trial…

Moore’s attorney, James Standridge… argued that when Moore was in a “dissociative state” he automatically reverted to scripted behavior influenced by his repetitive video game exposure and childhood abuse.

Nutters call for worldwide laws against religious defamation

Based on an article from the Guardian see full article

A Senegalese UN 'expert' on racism on Friday branded the defamation of religions - in particular critical portrayals of Islam in the West - a threat to world peace.

Islamophobia today is the most serious form of religious defamation, Doudou Diene told the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Diene cited a caricature of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in a Swedish newspaper, a protest by far-right groups in Belgium Tuesday against the Islamization of Europe, and campaigns against the construction of mosques in Germany and Switzerland as evidence of an ever increasing trend toward anti-Islamic actions in Europe.

Diene, a Senegalese lawyer who was appointed as an independent U.N. expert on racism in 2002, was presenting a report on defamation of religions to the 47-member council. The report also includes sections on anti-Semitism and other forms of religious or racial persecution around the world.

African and Islamic countries welcomed the assessment and called for moves to draft an international treaty that would compel states to act against any form of defamation of religion.

Diene said that the Danish & Swedish caricatures of Mohammed were evidence that the basic principle of coexistence of different cultures and different religions, which is the lasting basis for peace, is threatened now. Freedom of expression cannot be used as a pretext or excuse for incitement to racial or religious hatred.

European Union members of the council and other countries cautioned against equating criticism of religion with racism.

The EU finds it problematic to reconcile the notion of defamation with the concept of discrimination, said Goncalo Silvestre of Portugal, who was speaking for the 27-nation bloc: In our view these two are of a different nature.

Religions in themselves do not deserve special protection under international human rights law, he said.

 
Permanent injunction against Oklahoma law

From Game Politics

A federal court judge has issued a permanent injunction against Oklahoma’s 2006 video game law.

Judge Cauthron’s opinion makes abundantly clear that the Oklahoma legislature overreached in attempting to restrict the distribution of video games containing fantasy violence to minors, in part because there was no evidence that the games are harmful to anyone. The judge also noted that there is no way for an ordinary person to determine which games were covered by the Oklahoma law and which were not.

From Tech Liberation

Adam Thierer writes about Prof. Lawrence Tribe’s recent speech to Progress and Freedom Foundation’s Apsen Summit.

Tribe is a renowned legal scholar who spoke about a number of issues related to the First Amendment and technology. His comments on the regulation of violence are particularly relevant to the current efforts to legislate video games in California, New York and elsewhere.

Prof. Tribe… argued that the recent push by the FCC and some in Congress to regulate “excessive violence” on broadcast or cable television is doomed to fail if tested in the courts. Depictions of violence are already considered protected in other contexts…

And because there is almost certainly no way to define a strict category of objectionable violence, the regulations would likely be held to be overly broad or excessively vague by the courts. And such regulation would create a “chilling effect” on many reasonable forms of speech and artistic expression.

Tribe also pointed out that the growing supply of parental control tools and methods makes it even less likely that such regulation would pass constitutional muster. [Parental controls] represent a “less restrictive means” of dealing with underage access to objectionable material…

The malleability of children’s minds is not a defense [for regulation], Tribe noted. Many pro-censorship laws and regulations are premised on the idea that government action can be justified in the name of protecting children from objectionable content or communications.

But Tribe argued that the exact opposite is the case. Precisely because children’s minds are malleable, we should not empower government officials to have greater say over how they think or develop. In a free society that task should be left to families…

 
Fox censor Sally fields speech at the Emmys

From Marty Feldmanize Me see full article
See also acceptance speech video

Actress Sally Fields gave a hurried but heartfelt thank you to her producers, costars, and writers, but most of all to mothers, especially those waiting for children to return home from war. Then the orchestra kicks in and for 20 uncomfortable seconds she stutters and is lost for words. Then in one glorious burst of lucidity she collects herself and announces: Let's face it: If mothers ruled the world, there'd be no goddam wars in the first place, for which she receives loud applause from the audience.

If you were watching US television you didn't see this moment because it was censored by FOX. Did FOX censor her for political reasons? Some bloggers seem to feel so, but it could have simply been down to her use of the term "goddam"

 
Michael Grade criticises video games

From Broadcast Now see full article

ITV executive chairman Michael Grade has criticised video games for existing in a "moral vacuum" compared to TV drama.

Grade said TV had a stronger moral standpoint because it could contextualise video content within the framework of a dramatic narrative.

He was responding to a presentation to the Royal Television Society's Cambridge Convention by John Riccitiello, chief executive of Entertainment Arts.

Riccitiello said video games were unfairly demonised in the media for their violent content, which he argued was no worse than TV programmes and films. He contrasted violent clips from shows such as 24 and CSI and films including Kill Bill and 300 with controversial video games such as Grand Theft Auto.

The video games industry has acted responsibly to protect children from seeing unsuitable material with measures such as blocking mechanisms on games consoles, he argued. He conceded, however, that video games' ability to tell strong stories and present a moral framework was in its infancy.

 
China bans more supposedly explicit sex talk shows

From China Daily see full article

The State Administration of Film, Radio and Television (SAFRT) switched off 13 radio sex talk shows in five central and southern provinces recently, according to SAFRT's website.

According to the notice issued by SAFRT on September 13, 11 sex explicit talk shows broadcast by provincial broadcast stations in Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hainan were suspended for their pornographic nature.

The notice said "the problem of the five broadcast stations is serious and those responsible will be dealt with".

The notice said the banned programs dealt with material of an "extreme pornographic nature" and talked about sex lives, sexual experiences, sex organs and the efficacy of certain drugs for sex.

Local broadcasters must draw lessons from these cases and improve their social responsibility and professional ethics, said the notice.

The SAFRT said it will establish a hotline in near future for the public to report vulgar programs they discover

 
Reality DVD banned by Australian censor

From Refused Classification
The uncut region 1 DVD is available via US Amazon

The Australian Classification Board have banned the reality documentary Banned from Television. This was also banned by the BBFC back in 1999

Review from Amazon US see full article

This fifty-four minute DVD contains twenty-five chapters with situations ranging from an undercover police video at a strip club to a shark attack on a student, from a collapsing tower at a Deep Purple concert in Chile to several scenes of police brutality in South America. The most gruesome scene involves a woman who, in a hurry to get wherever she needed to go, accidentally jogs into a speeding train. You can see from the video clip of the accident why she failed to stop in time, but it is still brutal to watch and highlights the reason your parents always told you to look both ways before crossing the street. When I read about this scene before purchasing the DVD, I knew exactly the footage I would see because one of those cable channels that always show various documentaries covered this train accident in a program some time ago. Of course, on cable the scene cut away right before impact. Here you see it from start to finish, and it is a powerful statement on how carelessness has the potential for tragic consequences.

 
Northern Territory reviewing porn law

From ABC see full article

The Northern Territory Government is reviewing its pornography laws to see whether tougher regulations are needed to stamp out illicit porn traders.

The announcement comes as new bans take effect today on all hard-core pornography in remote Aboriginal communities.

The Northern Territory has the most relaxed porn laws in Australia, without a licensing system to regulate the industry.

Attorney-General Syd Stirling says his department is studying the ACT's regulatory scheme with a view to taking a similar model to Cabinet.

 
Government suggest a media think tank to consider future direction of regulation

From Broadcast Now see full article

The government is creating a new think-tank to steer media policy in the rapidly changing UK media environment.

Culture secretary, James Purnell said that he and business secretary, John Hutton, would recruit senior figures from inside and outside government to inform media policy as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the way the sector is regulated.

Ofcom has struggled to keep pace with changes in the media environment, particularly as new technologies provide more direct connection with viewers over broadband. The move is being seen as a first step in an attempt to move policy forming away from Ofcom, which only has responsibility for regulation.

The new think-tank will convene a series of public consultations and will conduct work likely to result in a new Communications Act before the existing analogue signal is switched off in 2012.

Purnell also spoke about the public's trust in TV. He said that the industry must fight the perception that recent fracas would lead to the public givong up on public service broadcasting.

By contrast, he said, people approach the internet with a built-in understanding that not everything they see will meet the same standards as TV and radio output.

To protect broadcasting's legacy as a source of trusted reputation Purnell outlined three broad objectives.

• The first of these was to maintain an open market without dictating the direction of technology as consumers increasingly seek to have some say in how they access their media. We must guard against the risk of new bottlenecks and new gatekeepers emerging with the potential to stifle innovation and constrain access.
• The second revolved around maintaining a distinct form of public service broadcasting centred on universal access, which Ofcom and the DCMS are currently reviewing.
• Referring to the government's recently-launched investigation into the effects of the media on children, Purnell's final focus was on empowering consumers in a broadcasting world in which restrictions such as the 9pm watershed would lose their relevance. He said: If we can give more parents more power to control their children's viewing, they will prove to be very keen regulators: certainly much sharper than the blunt instrument of censorship.

 
Hostel Part 2 cut in New Zealand

From TV 3 see full article
The uncut region 1 DVD is available at US Amazon

New Zealand's horror fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of Hostel Part II on the big screen, but it appears all they will get to watch is a diluted DVD version.

New Zealand's Office of Film and Literature Classification says one scene is just too full on and would be "injurious to the public good".

The censors ruled that the movie could only be released if the scene was edited out.

However, the film’s distributor, Sony Pictures (NZ), and many of the fans believe the film would not be harmful to the public if it was released uncut.

Hostel: Part II was said to be a difficult film to classify, so the censors arranged a controlled public viewing of the movie. The people involved in the public viewing represented a broad spectrum of the New Zealand public and were not all horror fans - most of them would normally avoid such films.

After the viewing, the audience was surveyed and 64% said the film should be given an R18 rating and released uncut.

Sony Pictures (NZ) appealed the New Zealand censor's decision, but the Film and Literature Board of Review rejected the appeal by a vote of 3 - 2 and also ruled that the offending scene needed to be censored before the film could be released in New Zealand.

Sony Pictures (NZ) has said they will not edit the film for New Zealand cinemas as it would not make financial sense to do so. Kiwi horror fans will therefore miss out on seeing the gory flick on the silver screen. A censored version may eventually be released on DVD.

Hostel: Part II was released uncensored in the UK, Ireland, Australia, the United States and most of the world.

   
Lust, Caution uncut in Taiwan

From Channel News Asia see full article

Taiwan censors have approved the release of the full version of director Ang Lee's award-winning erotic spy thriller Lust, Caution.


The artistic achievement of 'Lust, Caution' has been recognised after the (Golden Lion) award and it will better meet the public expectation to release the film uncut, the report quoted government film official Chen Chun-jhe as saying.

Lust, Caution is set to open in Taiwan on September 24.

 
New Zealand Salvation Army whinge at Maxim Babes

More religious nutters imposing their nonsense on others

Based on an article from Scoop see full article

The Salvation Army is whinging about a decision by Vodafone to sell 'adult' material on its mobile phone network.

The Dominion Post reported that Vodafone was offering adult material to mobile phones through its Vodafone Live portal. The newspaper said that Vodafone planned to donate the income, less costs, to charity.

The 'adult' content is merely lads mag stuff such as Maxim Babes.

Salvation Army spokesperson Mrs Chris Frazer says Vodafone appears to have crossed a moral boundary and urgently needs to clarify what kind of content is being delivered.

Vodafone has been reported as saying it would restrict sale of its adult content to those over 18, but their website has been promoting material for the UK-based 'Maxim' men's magazine to ages 16 years and above.

The Salvation Army is concerned that age restrictions on mobile phone content do not prevent vulnerable children from also gaining access to adult-only material. It questions the need for any telecommunications company to actively target consumers with this kind of material.

Those who begin by viewing soft porn may move on to harder-core and more addictive material, says Frazer. Pornography is exploitative, objectifying women and, in its worse form, children as well. Those who become obsessed by or addicted to pornography risk damaging the intimacy of real-life relationships.

The Salvation Army encourages Vodafone to rethink the provision of adult content on its New Zealand network.

 
A proposal that the media should respect religious nonsense

A much simpler and more realistic charter would read: Responsible religions shouldn't inflict their beliefs on others, and then the media will not need to ridicule nutters and their nonsense.

Based on an article from Christian Post see full article
See also Charter to Respect for Religion or Belief

A recent cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad published by a Swedish newspaper and condemned in Islamic countries demonstrates the need for a journalistic code of standards when depicting religion, says a US-based nutter group that has now developed such a set of standards.

A charter developed by Institute on Religion and Public Policy in Washington DC, takes into account the paramount principles of freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief, and attempts to strike an appropriate balance that preserves both of these fundamental freedoms, said Joseph K. Grieboski, the institute's president.

Among other things, the charter's four-part declaration states, A responsible media never promotes religious hatred. It scrupulously avoids engendering hostility towards religions and their members likely to lead to imminent violence or systematic deprivation of human rights.

The Institute on Religion and Public Policy said its charter also states, A responsible media does not refer to religions or religious institutions in a prejudicial, biased or pejorative context; when religious references are essential to the reported matter or facilitate understanding, they are made accurately, fairly, impartially and respectfully.

Beyer Recommends: Secret Diary of a Call Girl

 
Beyer Recommends: Secret Diary of a Call Girl

Thanks to Dan
Based on an article from The Mirror see full article

Billie Piper is set to prove she's a big girl now by using the word, "cunt", on TV.

She is set to shock the usual nutters with her saucy antics in a role as a high-class hooker, and her use of strong lnguage.

Billie, who made her name as an actress in Doctor Who, is about to star in ITV2's Secret Diary of a Call Girl based on the bestselling book.

In the first episode on September 27, Billie's character Belle utters the rude word as a prank goes wrong.

John Beyer, director of Media watch was predictably outraged. He said: This is likely to cause considerable offence. ITV and Billie Piper have displayed poor judgement.

ITV said it was acceptable as the show will be screened late.

 
Woman still in Thai prison

From Prachatai see full article

The second person reported to have been arrested under the new Computer Crime Act has been found detained at Bangkok Remand Prison.

The unnamed woman was reportedly arrested on Aug 24 around noon. Officials possibly from the Information and Communications Technology Ministry and police raided her house by breaking the locks and seized a computer without producing a search warrant.

Prachatai was told her family is aware of the detention, and is struggling to post bail due to financial constraints. A civil rights organization has been in contact.

This case marks the second detention under the Computer Crime Act. A report in the Financial Times on Sept 1-2 on the arrest of two Thais had been dismissed by both the ICT Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom and Commander of the Economic and Cyber Crime Division Pol Maj Gen Wisut Wanitchbutr.

Update: Urging a No Vote in the Referendum

14th September

From Thailand Crisis

According to a lawyer, the woman was charged under articles 14 (1) and (2) which prescribe punishment of a maximum of five years’ imprisonment or a Bt100,000 fine for posting false content on the Internet with the intent to harm others and public security.

The lawyer said the woman told him that she was charged because she posted messages urging people to vote no in the referendum on the draft constitution last month.

About 20 police officers raided her house in Pathum Thani on the morning of August 24 and seized her notebook computer without producing a search warrant, said the lawyer.

The woman has now been detained for 20 days and ha not yet achieved bail

EU considers a block on search terms like "terrorism"

From Reuters see full article

Internet searches for bomb-making instructions should be blocked across the European Union, the bloc's top security official said.

Internet providers should also prevent access to any site giving instructions on how to make a bomb, EU Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini said in an interview.

I do intend to carry out a clear exploring exercise with the private sector ... on how it is possible to use technology to prevent people from using or searching dangerous words like bomb, kill, genocide or terrorism, Frattini told Reuters.

The EU executive is to make this proposal to member states early in November as part of a raft of anti-terrorism proposals.

Frattini said there would be no bar on opinion, analysis or historical information but operational instructions useful to terrorists should be blocked.

He said European legislation would spell out the principles of blocking access to bomb instructions. The details would be worked out by each EU country.

   
AO and M rated versions compared

From ign.com see full article

ign.com have compared the banned AO version of Manhunt 2 with the recently reclassified M rated version. They detail the changes as follows:

The majority of main gameplay functions are intact, violence, gore and all. If Danny beats a hunter with a mace, the carnage will play out uncensored, and blood will splatter onto the main character's clothes.

But there have been some unfortunate content omissions, too. When we first wrote about Manhunt 2, we referenced a particularly nasty death sequence, in which Danny could use a pair of pliers to literally rip the testicles off a hunter. That murder has been completed removed from the updated build of the game. Not a big deal for us, as it only amounts to one kill out of dozens. Danny can still saw into the heads of enemies, or bludgeon them with a blunt object, or stab them, or use a syringe on them, or even use the environments to take them out.

The biggest and most disappointing change relates to the major death strikes. When Danny sneaks up on an enemy, gamers will be given the option to pick from three different murder animations. In the AO-rated build of Manhunt 2, we could clearly see these over-the-top and horrific animations. In the M-rated version, Rockstar has added both an extreme blur effect and in most cases darkened the graphics so that it is nearly impossible to make any sense of what is going on. Players will be able to see character movement, blood splatters, and sometimes they may catch a glimpse of an identifiable action (for example, Danny jamming nails into the legs of a chair-bound opponent), but mostly it's guesswork - a garbled, motiony mess that's far less satisfying.

 
And see how the nutters get wound up

Based on n article from the Freethinker see full article

Comic Kathy Griffin wound up the nutters when she took the stage to collect her Emmy for best reality programme, her Bravo channel show My Life on the D-List.

She commented: A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now.

Asked about her speech backstage a short time later, an unrepentant Griffin said: I hope I offended some people. I didn’t want to win the Emmy for nothing.

The remarks about Jesus at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards will not be seen by TV audiences, the US Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said.

The speech drew fire from a leading Roman Catholic group, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, which condemned Griffin’s remarks as “obscene and blasphemous”.

It is a sure bet that if Griffin had said, ‘Suck it, Mohammed’, there would have been a very different reaction, Catholic league president Bill Donohue said in a statement posted on the group’s website.

He called on TV academy president Dick Askin to denounce Griffin’s “hate speech” and on Griffin to apologise.

Griffin’s reaction to the controversy, according to a statement issued by her publicist: Am I the only Catholic left with a sense of humour?

   
CBS challenge FCC over the Janet Jackson fine

From iF Magazine see full article

That whole mess about Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” in 2004 is in the news again because CBS is contesting the fine they were told to pay for the incident.

In federal court on Tuesday, CBS argued that the $550,000 fine that the FCC levied against it for the half a second flash of nearly naked breast of Jackson was an unjustified departure from established practice and a violation of due process. Their reasoning stems from the fact that similar fines, including those levied against Fox for expletives used on two different live broadcasts, had been overturned by the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, on the grounds that the FCC had not adequately explained or justified the fines. They also argued that, if the edict should remain in effect, it constitutes unreasonable censorship.

The FCC, for their part, claimed that the entire act between Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake was of a “highly sexual nature” and that the network should have been prepared for something of this sort to happen. Even though the act had been rehearsed twice (sans flash) and even though CBS did not know it was coming. Yeah – even the judges weren’t impressed by that reasoning.

The three-judge panel of the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals will decide the case in coming months, but commentators have noted the judges’ skepticism when it came to the FCC’s case.

Pakistan dictates that SMS messages should be monitored and censored

From the Daily Times see full article

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has directed all the mobile operators in the country to start monitoring SMS text messages sent by mobile users in order to impose censorship and block mobile connections of users spreading anti-government content.

Major German ISP blocks adult content

From X Biz see full article

European Internet provider Arcor reportedly is blocking their ISDN/DSL subscribers from access to certain adult-oriented websites. The company is Germany’s second largest provider of fixed line phone and the only German telecom with an IDSN network independent of No. 1 Internet provider Duetsche Telekom.

According to an article posted on Heisse Online, Arcor spokesperson Paul Gerlach has confirmed that several adult sites have been blocked due to lack of age verification safeguards, making adult content available to underage users: Pornographic content is freely accessible [on the pages concerned] with insufficient or no checks on age.

The company stated that the blockages were requested by a German adult Internet company that is compliant with German laws, which restricts adult content to prevent minors from accessing it.

Section 184 of the German Penal Code calls for fines and up to a one-year jail sentence for Internet companies that do not require age verification.

Until the legal position is clarified, Arcor has voluntarily complied with this request. Provisionally, therefore, the corresponding pages cannot be accessed from the Arcor network, Gerlach said. The company expects that the website operator and the company that hosts the pages will remove the unlawful content or make it inaccessible to the public, Gerlach said.

As the global adult Internet market becomes more competitive, several foreign companies have set up sites translated to German and, according to Heisse Online, sometimes overlook German statutes regulating the Internet. Some of the sites being blocked by Arcor include Sex.com, YouPorn.com and PrivatAmateure.com.

Vodafone, Arcor's parent company, is the largest provider of mobile phone service in Germany and Austria; its customers will no longer be able to access the blocked sites on their mobile devices through the Vodafone network.

   
Substantial Chinese cuts for Lust, Caution

Based on an article from Variety Asia see full article

Golden Lion-winner Lust, Caution will be trimmed of 30 of its steamiest and most violent minutes for Chinese audiences.

In Hong Kong, a Chinese Special Administrative Region where the film is to be given a wide 50-print release by Edko Films on Sept 26, "Lust" is also likely to be sliced. We are still waiting for the advice of the ratings board, said an Edko source. But it seems pretty clear that we are heading for cuts in order to qualify for a III rating.

Of Hong Kong's four ratings, the III classification is the territory's only one with mandatory effect. It gives theater box offices the power to check IDs, requires that promotional materials are screened by the censors and that videos are sold in sealed plastic wrapping.

No such a rating option exists in the Chinese mainland, where either everyone gets to see a movie, from toddler to teen to pensioner, or no one does. The lack of a film classification system means the only tools at the censor's disposal are cutting entire scenes or simply banning a movie, both drastic steps when one considers that script approval was granted before a movie goes into production.

China's main movie watchdog, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) refuses to introduce the rating system as it believes that if a movie is unsuitable for children, then it's unsuitable for adults too.

Lust, Caution was originally due to open on Sept. 23 in mainland China but is now more likely to bow on Oct. 26 only after completion of a special blackout period, known as "Outstanding Golden Domestic Film Exhibition Month," to allow for a crucial Communist Party congress.

 
25% of local films banned in Bangladesh

From Google News

Bangladesh's censor board said that it had banned a quarter of all films made by its small "Dhaliwood" movie industry in the past year to stamp out "immoral" cinema.

The industry based in Dhaka made 86 films in the year to June said vice-chairwoman of the censor board Kamrun Nahar. But a quarter were banned because of excessive fight scenes and dirty dancing, Nahar said.

These films are not healthy and they hardly reflect the country's culture and tradition. They were full with obscene materials and don't have any coherent storyline, she said. The banned films include Rebel Girl, Tough Girl, Massacre and The Muscleman, she said. Nahar said, however, that some producers were able to show movies after extensive cuts were made.

An Islamist-allied government began the campaign against "obscene" films in 2004. It amended the film censorship act last year to include a three-year jail term for producers whose movies are judged to be against Bangladeshi cultural values.

China have banned and blocked 20,000 websites

Based on an article from the Epoch Times see full article

With the Chinese Communist Party's Seventeenth Congress around the corner, another wave of Internet traffic controls are sweeping across the nation.

China Telecom recently declared, To respond to the Ministry of Information Industry's project to purify and improve the Internet environment and to combat Internet pornography, China Telecom has blocked 8,808 illegal web addresses, cut off 265 virtual hosts without IDC (Internet Data Center) permits, and 9,593 unregistered websites.

Additionally, Yu Xijian from China Netcom (CNC) said it has blocked 587 websites which were unregistered from the IDC (Internet Data Center) and 112 websites without IDC/ISP permits.

Meanwhile Chinese Bulletin Boards have reported that the most sensitive topics to the Chinese government are those that:

• involve the Party, state, government, governmental departments and units
• involve Japan, Darfur in Sudan, issues in Tibet and Xinjiang
• involve appealing crowds, parades, demonstrations and livelihood issues
• involve overseas Falun Gong, the rightists, exiles from Tibet and Xinjiang.

The administrators have been asked to report and delete such postings immediately!

   
Comes to the rescue of Trevor McDonald

From Ofcom see Complaints Bulletin 92

News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald

ITV1, 24 June 2007, 22:00

This topical news comedy programme was introduced by Sir Trevor McDonald. At one point, Sir Trevor McDonald introduced an item by saying: It’s time for ‘Racist and Dead’, this week, it’s the turn of corpulent, narrow-minded northerner Bernard Manning. Personally, I never thought of Bernard Manning as a racist comic… just a fat, white bastard…

112 viewers complained that the use of the expression “fat, white bastard” was inappropriate and/or racist.

Decision

The Code was drafted in the light of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights. In particular, the right to freedom of expression, as expressed in Article 10 of the Convention, encompasses the audience’s right to receive creative material, information and ideas without interference, but subject to restrictions prescribed by law and necessary in a democratic society.

Ofcom must ensure that generally accepted standards are applied to the content of television services, so as to provide adequate protection for members of the public,
for example from the broadcast of offensive material.

Rule 2.3 of the Code states that …in applying generally accepted standards broadcasters must ensure that material which may cause offence is justified by the context. There is therefore no prohibition on the broadcast of an expression such as the one used by Sir Trevor McDonald, provided that it is justified by context. Context includes, amongst other things: the time of broadcast; the editorial content of the programme; the degree of offence likely to be caused by the material; and the likely expectation of the audience.

The programme was broadcast a full hour after the 21:00 watershed, when more challenging material can sometimes be expected. It was clear from the outset that the programme, whilst a comedy, was an edgy, satirical look at the week’s news, and that on occasions there would be some material that risked offending some viewers.

In the case of this programme, Sir Trevor McDonald obviously, and intentionally, drew on Bernard Manning’s own style of humour, which frequently played on the real or apparent prejudices of his audience. The comments were clearly intended to parody Manning’s own comedy, where he claimed he was not himself racist, but simply made ‘jokes’ based on racial stereotypes. It was in such a context that Sir Trevor McDonald could therefore state that he did not consider Manning to be a racist but then went on to say that he was “…a fat white bastard”.

Taking the above into account, therefore, we do not believe this specific expression went beyond the likely expectations of an audience for a satirical news-based comedy programme broadcast well after the watershed, and that any offence that may have been caused was justified by the context.

Comment: John Beyer, Pedantic Bastard

John Beyer, director of mediawatch-uk said: While Sir Trevor McDonald's comments were untypical, I still think Ofcom should have reached a different outcome. If the comment had been made in reverse (a white man calling someone a ‘fat black bastrd') there would have been utter outrage, and rightly so.'

Malaysian system supposedly to monitor not censor internet

Based on an article from the ZDNet Asia see full article

Malaysia's National Security Centre (NSC), supposedly aimed at monitoring and tracking cyber security threats, is expected to be up and running by year-end, according to industry regulator Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Mohd Ali Hanafiah, senior director for the MCMC's content and network security division, said the center will be housed within its premises and is designed to track malicious Internet traffic on the Web.

The information collated will then be used to create a security threat information database that will be disseminated to all local Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Ali said Tuesday.

Shamsul Jafni Shafie, director of security, trust and governance at MCMC, said the NSC is patterned after Singapore's Cyber-Watch Centre and the Korea Information Security Agency (Kisa).

He added that the NSC will only monitor and analyze Internet traffic for malicious activity, and will not censor material on the Internet.

We are committed to the non-censorship of the Internet as promised by the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Bill of Guarantee, he said. The Bill comprises various conditions the Malaysian government has pledged to observe in order to ensure the Internet will not be censored.

BBFC caution contributes to games ratings being ignored

From CVG see full article

David Braben created the notable game, Elite, and now heads a game company, Frontier Developments.

He was asked in an interview: What's your view on violence in games and do you think too many contain X-rated material to cynically appeal to a teenage audience?

I think at the root of this problem is that there's still an expectation among parents that ESRB/PEGI/BBFC ratings can be ignored - possibly based on their experience of games when they were younger. Also, there have been a few games that have strange ratings like Gears of War (18). That does not make sense to me. Why is it not a 15? Okay, there are some slightly gruesome bodies hanging up in the first section of the game, but this is no more than you'd expect in a 15 film like Alien Vs Predator or The Terminator films.

This means that when a more genuine 18 comes along, parents assume it is no worse than Gears of War, and is perhaps why Manhunt 2 was banned, as they felt they could not give it the same rating as Gears.

We do need a strong, consistent rating system, where 18 really means 18, and is enforced, and then it may be more acceptable to make such games, or to bring in an additional rating which are only sold in very restricted places.

Update: Tournament Caution

From WCG 2007 see full article

A news page for the World Cyber Games reveals that 16-17 year old players were originally to be allowed to enter a Gears of War tournament. This was apparently OKed by the BBFC presumably as the games weren't being supplied to the teenagers.

But a later news item suggested that Microsoft UK had intervened and insisted that the tournament be restricted to 18 year olds or over.

 
Chinese clean up TV for Party Congress

From The Independent see full article

China is clamping down on television shows deemed vulgar or in poor taste...no sexually explicit programmes, nothing featuring sex toys and contraceptives and anything involving sex change operations or real-life cosmetic surgery is off the air.

China wants to the fill the ether with solid communist values ahead of a high-level party congress next month, where President Hu Jintao will cement his power base.

Chinese TV is remarkably chaste and nudity or even the softest of porn are completely unthinkable on air. But reality-TV shows have been screening 'bawdy' behaviour and exhibitionism, to the authorities' irritation.

The campaign against "vulgar" television has already shut down The First Heart-throb, a spectacularly chaotic version of Britain's Pop Idol.

Growing affluence in China and increased competition between regional broadcasters means there is greater demand for this type of show, often at the expense of the traditional, patriotic performances favoured by the Communist government.

The state broadcasting watchdog recently banned programmes featuring surgery and sex-change operations. Beautiful Makeover, a reality show in the southern province of Guangdong which showed scenes of plastic surgery operations, was axed. All levels of television broadcasters must not plan or produce sex change or plastic surgery programmes involving public participation (including news, specials or interviews), effective immediately, Sarft , the Chinese TV censor, said.

Sarft also criticised other provincial stations broadcasting "lewd and obscene" images. All levels of television broadcasters must not air any vulgar content involving sexual experiences or functions of sex toys and birth control devices, effective immediately, Sarft said. It also has told the state broadcaster CCTV to rein in racy advertisers.

The government is also keeping a lid on any controversial movies before the 17th Party Congress, due to start on 15 October. Only visions of China's "harmonious society" will make the cinema screens and the period around the meeting will be known as Outstanding Golden Domestic Film Exhibition Month.

Among the films hit by the rules will be Ang Lee's racy wartime drama Lust, Caution. The Chinese market is already getting a toned-down version of the steamy movie, and it has now been postponed until after the congress ends.

Indian court rejects case to ban 'obscene' song

Based on an article from the Calcutta Telegraph see full article

Aye Ganpat can blare on, with all its suppsosed obscenities...the Supreme Court has plugged its ears.

The court refused to intervene in a public interest petition seeking a ban on the song being played on television and radio.

We agree it’s in bad taste, said a bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, about the hit song from Shootout at Lokhandwala. But it refused to impose a ban, and instead asked petitioner Jyothika Kalra to launch a public campaign.

Kalra, a nutter working for women’s rights, had argued that the song was derogatory to the dignity of women and violated a fundamental right i.e. right to love with dignity.

The language of the song does not stand the test of decency and morality, Kalra said, adding that such songs objectify women and are detrimental to any society seeking gender equality.

Shootout at Lokhandwala was given an adults-only certificate by the censor board, she said. But the song was being freely aired on TV and radio and was also available on cassette.

Apart from the request for the ban, Kalra also sought a directive to the censor board to withdraw the movie’s certificate of exhibition. But the court dismissed the petition.

 
Fine pixellation reveals Japanese censorship

From the Japan Times see full article

Police launched the recent raids on NEVA in reaction to the current crop of DVDs, which it claims fail to sufficiently mask on-screen action, thereby qualifying them as obscene.

Until recently, the main players in the AV industry cooperated with the Nihon Ethics of Video Association (NEVA), which applies its seal of approval to discs that comply with self-imposed censorship.

Participation in NEVA is voluntary, but most makers joined because major distributors wouldn't touch their products otherwise, an AV producer tells Weekly Playboy: Their influence was such that an old saying went, 'Your video won't succeed without girls who squeal and NEVA.'

But then a certain company developed 'digital masking' (which typically appears as a mosaic). In a scene showing oral sex for example, the mosaic would perfectly overlap with a man's procreative member, so it was like watching the real thing . . . and the main business shifted to the independent operators that applied these digitalized mosaics.

Faced with this challenge to its authority, NEVA began relaxing its own inspection standards concerning the appearance of mosaics (from October 2004) and other anatomical displays (from August 2006), and it was this, reports Asahi Geino (Sept. 6), that led to the crackdown.

Reviewing the evidence, the reporter agreed that when compared with more staid DVDs, the mosaics on these productions left practically nothing to the imagination.

In the beginning, rental shops wouldn't put out discs unless they complied with NEVA standards, but now only about 30 percent of the items for rent are NEVA-approved, observes Ganari Takahashi, a former president of Soft On Demand, who adds that "digital coverup" work is expensive: It's done one frame at a time, outsourced to overseas labs that employ as many as 100 technicians. A skilled technician might devote 8 hours to a single minute's worth of mosaic. But for a long time the mosaics in NEVA-approved AVs didn't incorporate this level of craftsmanship and were crude by comparison.

   
Phone regulator ICSTIS renames as PhonepayPlus

From a press release by ICSTIS see full article [pdf]

The premium rate telephone regulator, ICSTIS, will become PhonepayPlus on 15 October 2007.

We believe that PhonepayPlus will give consumers a much better understanding of the help and advice we can provide. PhonepayPlus will continue where ICSTIS left off. We will continue to regulate the promotion, content and overall operation of all services that are subject to our Code of Practice, and we will continue to take action against those companies who break our rules.

From early 2008, we will also start regulating all services offered on 0871 numbers.

PhonepayPlus will focus on pre-empting and preventing problems – the key, we believe, to effective long-term consumer protection and a dynamic, growing industry. We will be working closely with a number of organisations over the coming months on a range of new consumer protection, youth education and industry 'prevention rather than cure' initiatives. We want to have the right measures in place to engender an industry-wide culture of compliance where services are offered responsibly and consumers get a fair deal.

Other than our change of name, our postal and Freepost addresses, as well as our switchboard, fax, Contact Centre and Media Office numbers, will be unaffected. Our new website address will be www.phonepayplus.org.uk

   
New porn laws start 14th September

Based on an article from AVN see full article

The federal government will put its new pornography bans for Aboriginal communities into effect on Sept. 14. Australia is using print and radio ads to warn Northern Territorians of the upcoming bans.

The discriminatory ban, proposed by Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, is supposedly an attempt to fight child sex abuse among the country's indigenous communities. The move has been met with support from Christian lobbyists. Aboriginal leaders argue that the decision is discriminatory.

Under Prime Minister Howard's initiative — which was passed into federal parliament last month — hardcore pornography will be completely banned, and any computers that are publicly funded will be checked for pornography. The sale, possession and transportation of alcohol in the Northern Territory will also be banned, along with tighter restrictions on welfare payments. The bans will be enacted for six months, after which the policy would be reviewed.

According to The Age, people caught in possession of prohibited material will face fines ranging from $5,500 to $11,000. People caught in possession of five or more prohibited items will be automatically considered traffickers, even if they are not seeking financial gain out of supplying the material, and will face up to two years imprisonment.

In addition to the educational advertisements, a 24-hour information line has been established to provide advice and information on the new policy.

   
Appeal court allows policeman to be fired for operating adult website

From SF Gate see full article

A police department had the right to fire an officer for operating a Web site that featured sexually explicit photos and videos of his wife, a federal appeals court ruled.

Although Ronald Dible's conduct may have been unrelated to his job as a police officer in Chandler, Arizona, his actions hurt the department in the eyes of the public and were not protected by freedom of speech, said the Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

His activities were simply vulgar and indecent, said Judge Ferdinand Fernandez. They did not contribute speech on a matter of public concern.

But one member of the three-judge panel said the court's rationale might apply equally to an off-duty officer who angered some members of the public by marching in a gay pride parade.

Dible and his wife, Megan, started the Web site in September 2000 and charged users a fee for watching nude videos. The department did not learn about the site until January 2002 and questioned Ronald Dible, who initially denied he had anything to do with the site, the court said.

Dible was fired in April 2002. His suit, filed in 2003, claimed that the department had violated his right of free speech.

Upholding a lower-court ruling in the city's favor, the appeals court cited a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2004 that allowed San Diego to fire a police officer who had made and sold sexually explicit videos of himself, stripping out of a police uniform. The court said the officer's activities had harmed the police department and were not constitutionally protected.

Unlike that officer, Dible did not tell his porn customers that he was a police officer. But the court said the harm caused by his conduct, once disclosed, far outweighed any legal protection it deserved.

The public expects officers to behave with a high level of propriety, and, unsurprisingly, is outraged when they do not do so, said Fernandez, joined by Chief Judge Mary Schroeder. The law and their own safety demands that they be given a degree of respect, and the sleazy activities of Ronald and Megan Dible could not help but undermine that respect.

Judge William Canby, in a separate opinion, said Dible's lies to police investigators were the only valid grounds for his dismissal. He said police officers, like other public employees, have a right to free expression outside the workplace that is unrelated to their job, even if some find it objectionable.

   
Hackers release uncut PS2 version

From PS3 see full article

A group of hackers called Team Slonik have posted the uncut version of Manhunt 2 on the internet, and it's now snaking its way through the interwebs via Bittorrent.

It's the PS2 version of the game, furthermore, according to the release notes, this is a beta version of Manhunt 2.

Needless to say, this couldn't have happened at a more sensitive time for the games industry. The past week has seen Gordon Brown and other politicians making several statements about videogames and violence, and the shadow of the ban-hammer is looming over all of us. Having such a controversial title leaking into public domain is going to turn up the heat on everybody concerned, not least of all Rockstar.

Like every other right-minded person, we vehemently disagree with the BBFC's decision to deny Manhunt 2 a certification. But if Team Slonik think they're doing us a favour by leaking it onto the interweb, they're very much mistaken.

Naked Rambler on a 3 year jail sentence

It is the contemptible sheriffs that should be locked up.

From The Scotsman see full article

The Naked Rambler has been ordered to serve a further 83 days in prison after picking up his 11th conviction for breach of the peace.

Stephen Gough, 48, was picked up by police officers on July 31 on his release from Saughton prison wearing only a pair of boots.

A number of pedestrians and motorists witnessed Gough, and one driver even tooted his car horn at him. He denied his nudity amounted to a breach of the peace at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday.

But Sheriff Kathrine Mackie disagreed and ordered him back to prison - where he has been almost continuously for the last 16 months.

His solicitor, John Good, pointed out that the jail time he had served was the equivalent of a three-year term, but said his client still refused to wear clothes and planned to continue his solitary confinement at Saughton. He told the court: It is Mr Gough's position that people should not be afraid of the human state.

 
Censors disagree about film advert

From the BBC see full article

A TV trailer for horror film Paradise Lost should not have been aired before 9pm watershed, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.

The "gory" advert, featuring blood and surgical instruments, could "cause distress to children," it said.

A viewer complained after watching the 10-second advert on TV at 20:00.

Distributor Lions Gate had referred the advert to the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre (BACC) which said it should not be broadcast before 1930.

A 30-second version of the advert, which was more graphic, had been restricted until after 2100. Lions Gate argued that this was adequate.

But the ASA disagreed, and upheld the complaint, ruling that the 10-second version should also only be broadcast after the watershed.

n a written judgment, the ASA said: Although the ad was 10 seconds long only, it showed blood flowing through a tube and an incision being made on the stomach of a woman on an operating table. It showed a man wearing robes and surgical gloves holding a large syringe and dropping a bloodied rag. The woman said in a distressed tone 'I want to go home'; the inference was that she was being held against her will. We considered this was no less gory or violent than the 30-second ads. We concluded that if scheduled before 9pm those images could cause distress to children.

The BACC said it had approved the 10-second advert because it felt it was not of such a violent nature that it should receive a post-9pm restriction. The organisation added it had "taken notice" of the ASA ruling.

   
Ofcom revisit premium services technology

Thanks to Paul
From Ofcom see Making enforcement more targeted and effective

Ofcom have identified a work package for the coming year entitled: Carry out a review of Premium Rate Service regulation, taking into account technological advances and the development of new services.

Now Ofcom ban hardcore from satellite TV on the basis of an inadequate PIN technology. There maybe some hope that PIN technology could one day be reviewed and pronounced adequate. Particularly as Internet TV will soon allow hardcore via the very same cable where it is banned from cable TV.

   
Black comedian silenced in Miami

From the Guardian see full article

When the black comedian and movie star Eddie Griffin, headlining an evening of stand-up routines, asked his 1,000-strong audience: Why are some black leaders telling us to stop using the n-word, he could not have expected what happened next. The microphone went dead.

Griffin, of Date Movie and Undercover Brother fame, was 10 minutes into his act in Miami last Friday night, having liberally peppered his jokes with the word. But the organisers of the event, the magazine Black Enterprise, had had enough.

Minutes after the stage fell silent, the magazine's publisher, Earl Graves, announced to a standing ovation that we will not allow our culture to go backwards. Black Enterprise stands for decency, black culture and dignity. He added that Griffin would be paid his full fee but would not be allowed to finish his act.

The movement, spearheaded by the website abolishthenword.com and the New York-based campaigner Al Sharpton, has grown rapidly since the controversy surrounding the use of the n-word onstage by ex-Seinfeld actor Michael Richards and Don Imus's removal from his radio show for describing black players from a basketball team as "nappy-headed hos".

 
Tanya Byron to inquire into impact of games & internet on children

From the Times see full article

Tanya Byron, the clinical psychologist, is to head an inquiry into the impact of violent video games and internet pornography on children.

The appointment of Dr Byron could presage interventionist action. Ministers believe that the views of parents must be given as much weight as those of the technicians, government sources told The Times.

Ways of preventing children from watching violent and gory images, will be explored. Dr Byron, a mother of two who is for her appearances on the BBC series Little Angels and House of Tiny Tearaways, said that it was vital that parents understood the dangers of such material: The internet is a powerful and positive tool for children in terms of their learning and ongoing development. However, we must all enable our children to use the possibility presented by the internet in a way that is both positive and safe.

Ofcom, the media watchdog, is already looking at the idea of a kite-marked filter device, with easy-to-understand instructions for parents, that could be sold with computers and video recorders.

Ed Balls, the Children, Schools and Families Secretary, said: More and more children and young people have mobile phones and play video games in their spare time. These technologies bring our children new, fantastic opportunities and lots of fun but we need to balance this with the risks and worries that parents have of their children accessing inappropriate content.

This review is not about stopping children having fun or preventing them from taking full advantage of the educational, social and entertainment benefits that the internet and video games technologies offer. But it is about making sure they can do so safely, as far as possible, without being exposed to harmful or inappropriate material.

 
Man released on bail after 2 weeks in Thai prison

From The Nation see full article

A 37-year old man imprisoned for two weeks at Bangkok Remand Prison on charges under the new Computer Crime Act was released on bail yesterday, a source said.

The source confirmed that the man was the webmaster for www.propaganda.forumotion.com, which mainly discusses the monarchy. The webmaster, widely known in the cyber community as Phraya Phichai, was quietly arrested two weeks ago and public access to his website has been denied since then.

Phraya Phichai, a pseudonym, became the first victim of the new Computer Crime Act, which went into effect on July 18.

Though he was arrested on August 24 by Crime Suppression police, he was first seen by his family on September 5th. During his two weeks in custody, Phraya Phichai never consulted with a lawyer, the source said.

According to the source, Phraya Phichai was charged under Article 14 (1) and (2), which prescribes punishment of a maximum five years imprisonment or a Bt100,000 fine for posting false content on the Internet to hurt others and public security.

It was the first time that police exercised their power under the new law and the story was first reported by the Financial Times weekend edition. Quoting a senior Thai official, the London-based paper said authorities have used the law to arrest two Thais for what were deemed particularly offensive comments about the monarchy on Internet chatrooms.

Assuming that Phraya Phichai was one of the two victims cited in the report, a Net surfer has started a weblog called Free Phichai, criticising the arrest and demanding the release of the webmaster. A call echoed by Fah Diew Kan (Same Sky) Publishing house, the publisher of a radical political magazine under the same name.

The Computer Crime Act, proposed by the ICT Ministry, has been mired in controversy since it was drafted due to the excessive power of police, who are allowed to seize computers of people suspected of disseminating "insulting or pornographic" content.

The law raised concerns among both local and international human rights organisations such as Reporters Without Borders, which said it might result in an increasingly restrictive policy towards free expression online.

Belittling the call for a boycott of Guantanamo play

From News Letter see full article

THE comedian whose controversial play about Jesus will open in Belfast this week has hit back at DUP calls for Ulster theatre-goers to boycott the production.

Abie Philbin Bowman is the writer and star of Jesus: the Guantanamo Years – a satirical take on US government anti-terror legislation depicting Jesus as an inmate at the US detention centre.

The play, which has already had runs in America, London's West End and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, will be staged in Belfast's Blackbox Theatre on Thursday and Friday of this week.

DUP councillor Christopher Stalford said the comparison between Jesus and terror suspects being held at Guantanamo was in "bad taste" and he urged people not to attend.

Philbin Bowman has now responded to his remarks: Councillor Stalford has got the wrong end of the stick. I'm not suggesting that Jesus was a terrorist – I'm suggesting that we have become so paranoid that we would treat Him as one, even though He's obviously innocent. My real target is the hypocrisy of the Bush administration. Guantanamo Bay is profoundly unchristian. Jesus Himself said, 'what you do to the least of these, you do also to me'. In that sense, He is in Guantanamo.

The premise of the play is that as a Middle Eastern man with a beard, Jesus would automatically be considered a terror suspect if he entered modern-day America.

   
Hearing to focus on misogyny & degradation

From Hip Hop DX see full article

It was only a matter of time before Capitol Hill weighed in on matters hip hop.

In a move reminiscent of the congressional hearings of the 90's surrounding "gangsta rap," Illinois Senator Bobby Rush is calling for a special hearing that will focus on misogyny and degradation, with a special focus on the degradation of black women in the industry.

The hearing will focus primarily on Hip Hop lyrics, but Rush says he is not targeting any particular genre, medium or artist. In addition to artists, Rush wants to talk to the individuals at the top.

I want to talk to executives at these conglomerates who've never taken a public position on what they produce, Rush said: But it's been surprisingly very difficult to get them to commit to appearing.

The hearing, titled From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degradation is tentatively set for Sept. 25. The witness list is still being compiled and as of press time, Master P is the only artist slated to attend.

Others on the list are said to include Philippe Dauman of Viacom and Doug Morris of Universal Music Group.

Members of African American women's interest groups have also been invited to attend and speak.

For Hip Hop fans who fear that new censorship laws may surface from the hearing, Rush says that he supports the First Amendment entitling artists to freedom of speech, but also supports artistic responsibility.

 
Australian nutters watch by candlelight

Based on an article from News.com.au see full article

Australian TV advertisers have supported Channel 10's new program Californication despite religious groups yesterday calling for a boycott of the show.

Ten maintained that advertisers had not complained about explicit sexual, drug and moral references.

The Australian Christian Lobby’s managing director Jim Wallace had called for advertisers to be “held accountable” for their support of the show: There will be calls to boycott sponsors of the show. And I’ll be leading the calls. (If they are concerned about standards) they should not be sponsoring this show. He said that he had organised someone to record last night’s episode in order to identify all advertisers.

The show, starring David Duchovny as a sex-addicted novelist and father suffering a mid-life crisis, features nudity and the opening scene saw a nun performing a sex act during a dream sequence.

Catholic priest Father John Fongemie led a candlelight vigil with 40 parishioners outside Ten's Sydney studio during Monday's episode.

 
Nutters to litigate on the basis of 'erotoxins' causing  physiological harm

From AVN see full article

A new blog has been established at www.familyfragments.com to serve as the informational portal for the Lighted Candle Society, an anti-porn activist group formed in 1991 by former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese III and former California Lieutenant Governor John Harmer.

The LCS intends to attack the porn industry via civil litigation, using the blog to garner support for its cause and keep porn opponents informed of its progress, according to the American Family News Network.

The suits being drummed up by the LCS will largely be based on state and federal obscenity laws, but there is also talk of presenting "scientific evidence" that pornography causes "physiological harm," as determined by the likes of Dr. Judith Reisman.

Formerly a singer on the Captain Kangaroo show, Reisman subsequently re-diverted her professional life toward media studies and is best known for attempting to debunk the work of Alfred Kinsey. Among her claims are that Kinsey's research was the basis of a "child molestation protocol," and that watching pornography causes the brain to emit "erototoxins" which have a toxic effect upon the viewer.

LCS spokesman Justin Hart commented, We now have the scientific fodder to throw on the fire. We also have done a lot of strategic legal research into specific state statutes that are favorable to plaintiffs in this regard.

Reisman’s 'research' is that pleasurable experiences produce endorphins, noted AVN's Mark Kernes. If that’s their scientific basis for banning porn, eating chocolate will be next.

 
Brown announces review of media, sex, violence & children

From the Guardian see full article

The impact of media violence on children will be the focus of a wider than expected government review being launched today. It may lead to new voluntary controls over excessive violence and sex on children's television and the internet and in video games.

Gordon Brown stressed that he did not see the review leading to state censorship...BUT...hoped it would lead to a common agreement between parents, programme makers and internet providers that new controls are necessary.

Speaking at his monthly press conference in Downing Street, Brown said parents were right to expect the government to do everything in its power to protect children from harmful material in a multimedia age. The review is to be conducted by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

In the past the sources of authority for children had been schools or parents. The aim of the review was to protect children from some of the malign influences in the media, he said. He added that he had concerns about the routine violence on children's television, saying he wanted to see a better-policed watershed hour and a review of advertising before the watershed.

He stressed: This is not the government telling people what they should do [...BUT...] this is society reaching a conclusion with all those people involved about what are the legitimate boundaries.

He added: I think we have got to look at this as a society. I hope this is one of the areas where there can be common ground between all parties. I think you need to review this with a large number of representative groups, from parents, from the different industries itself and from other areas of public life.

This is not an area where you can proceed in my view without trying to establish both what the boundaries are and what is the consensus you can build around these boundaries.

I am not interested in censorship at all, ...BUT... I think we do need rules governing some aspects of the internet and videos where children are involved. He said he expected the media to be fully willing to be involved in the review.

   
Prosecution of text stories continues

From X Biz see full article

US District Judge Joy Flowers Conti has refused to dismiss the federal obscenity charges pending against Karen Fletcher, aka Red Rose.

Fletcher’s website contained free excerpts of text only stories featuring child sex, murder and torture, with the full-length stories available to users for a fee. Fletcher was charged with one count for each of six stories that involved the kidnapping, torture, sexual molestation and murder of children nine years and younger.

Fletcher was indicted last year on six counts of transmission of obscene material in connection with short stories that she posted on the Internet for a $10 monthly fee. Fletcher’s website had 29 subscribers, according to evidence submitted in the case.

Jerome Mooney, one of Fletcher’s attorneys,  attempted to distinguish Fletcher’s work from graphic visual depictions involving real people and real sex, like the materials involved in the Extreme Associates case: Textual material is different than other kinds of visual depictions. Text is as close to the process of thought as we can get.

In response to that point, Conti asked Mooney if the problem in the case wasn’t that Fletcher had written the stories, but that she had sold them for profit. Mooney countered that the only way Fletcher could disseminate the stories online, and at the same time keep children from reading them, was to require the subscription fee, payable by credit card.

The 1st Amendment doesn’t mean much if one is only allowed to write down their own thoughts for their own perusal, Mooney said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Kaufman responded that the government is not trying to control Fletcher’s thoughts: There’s no legal prohibition with Ms. Fletcher sharing these stories with next-door neighbors or friends, Kaufman said, adding that the law does prohibit distributing such stories through the mail or online.

Mooney said that he was disappointed by the ruling, however, that Conti declined to make a pretrial determination of whether the stories are obscene. Mooney noted that Fletcher has been kept from publishing her stories due to the charges pending against her, even though there has been no finding that the stories are legally obscene: It has a chilling effect. We try very hard to keep speech free.

 
Violence and pornography are ‘terrible issues'

Maybe not all bad, Gordon Brown has not actually mentioned any restrictions on adult material for adults but...

From Mediawatch-UK from BBC Radio 4 Today programme

In an interview with John Humphrys on the Radio 4 Today programme the Prime Minister said that he had been thinking about how to deal with some of the ‘long term challenges' that face our country

... I have visited most countries in the world in recent years and everybody is preparing for their future. We have got to prepare for ours. ‘So whether its terrorism and security ... whether its in the field of education

... whether its dealing with some of the new issues, the erosion of childhood, how we can deal with video and internet, violence and pornography and all those terrible issues that we have to deal with ...'

From The Sun see full article

New moves to stop kids watching gore and violence on the internet were announced yesterday by Gordon Brown.

The PM has ordered ministers to work on a crackdown with media watchdog Ofcom and web service providers.

Among his plans are to make parents more aware of filtering equipment. Ofcom is to develop kite-marked software which is simple to use and guarantees to block kids’ access to violence or hardcore porn.

Ministers will also look into whether new rules are needed on the advertising and sale of some products to youngsters.

The Premier said in a speech yesterday: I know parents are concerned. We will be looking to see what can be done to help regulate access to inappropriate material.

Brown is disgusted with the amount of violence readily available. Kids can watch thugs carrying out attacks and even beheadings in Iraq with just a few computer key strokes.

He is also growing increasingly alarmed by the spate of shootings and stabbings on our streets. “Happy-slapping” gangs use video phones to film attacks, then put the footage on the web.

The PM’s move is part of his first “citizen’s jury”, unveiled yesterday. He wants random groups to help draw up new policy ideas.

From The Herald see full article

The government is also working with the industry and Ofcom to find a common framework for labelling on the internet, videos, games and websites like Youtube without applying draconian censorship.

An industry spokesman said: We think the answer is having the industry play a much more important role helping consumers know what they are going to see, and help parents protect their children against antisocial content.

Dying Princess Di pictures aired in UK when retransmitting US news

From the Guardian see full article

Sky News apologised and expressed "regret" for showing the controversial pictures of the late Princess Diana being given oxygen in the Mercedes at the scene of the Paris car crash that killed her.

The broadcaster also promised to review the circumstances leading to the broadcast.

It issued a statement apologising for showing the scenes during a broadcast from US network CBS Evening News in the early hours of this morning, the 10th anniversary of her death.

The first of a series of three black and white photographs showed Diana in the car with no visible injuries, while the second and third photographs showed Diana receiving treatment.

Sky's statement said: We routinely give UK viewers the opportunity to watch CBS's nightly network news bulletin, as shown to millions of people across the USA. In the early hours of Friday morning, Sky News broadcast a CBS bulletin which included an image of the late Princess Diana on the night of her fatal car accident.

We regret that this image was not highlighted by our pre-broadcast monitoring process and we are reviewing our internal processes as a result. We apologise for any offence caused to viewers. The image has not been used on any other part of Sky News' output and we will not repeat the CBS bulletin.

Sky's broadcast prompted complaints from some viewers, who were not warned the pictures were being aired.

The report is still running on the website of CBS News.

Religion Worthy of hatred

 
Racial and Religious Hatred Act comes into effect

From the National Secular Society

Sweeping Racial and Religious Hatred Act comes into effect
After a long delay, the Racial and Religious Hatred Act has been signed and will now come into effect on 1 October 2007.

The National Secular Society led the campaign against this legislation for five years when it became clear that in its original form it would have posed a severe threat to free expression – particularly on the right to criticise and mock religion. In a high profile campaign – that involved Rowan (Mr Bean) Atkinson, and which was spear-headed in Parliament by NSS Honorary Associate Evan Harris – we managed to get the most illiberal elements of the Bill removed.

The Government was not happy with the watered down version, but it was passed by the House of Commons with a majority of one. The-then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, had left parliament before the vote on the Bill was taken in the mistaken impression that it would be lost regardless of his vote.

It is thought that the Government still wishes to bring in stronger legislation.

 
Revamp their website

Thanks to DarkAngel

John Beyer's Mediawatch-UK have now revamped their website. Check it out on www.mediawatchuk.org.uk

Now an organisation that advocates locking up all porn viewers for 3 years has surely lost its grip on humanity, but the "What the Papers Say" section can actually be quite useful

   
No state censorship of games in the Netherlands

Other articles suggest more that the game could be released in the Netherlands rather than suggesting that there will be a release.

From MCV UK see full article

Rockstar’s Manhunt 2 may soon enjoy a bone fide release in Europe – albeit only in Holland.

The Dutch Ministry has declined to intervene in the title’s path to retail in the territory – as it would conflict with current Netherlands law.

In a letter to Parliament, Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin said: The current law is based on the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material.

Deciding on whether children should be allowed to play a game is currently the joint responsibility of parents, the audiovisual industry and the government, he continued. He said that his ministry was now examining whether new laws or policies were needed to better protect the youth.

Hirsch Ballin also pleaded for a unified EU standard for video game ratings.

 
YouTube under fire for Nazi propaganda

From Web Pro News see full article

YouTube’s in trouble again. The German government, along with at least one major Jewish group, is angry about the presence of Nazi propaganda on the video-sharing site.

The appearance or distribution of Nazi material is illegal in Germany, notes Bloomberg’s Patrick Donahue. As a result, Jugendschutz.de, [a] government-sponsored Internet watchdog group, has had to file more than 100 complaints to YouTube about the clips.

Salomon Korn, vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told SWR [a German broadcaster] that he expects state prosecutors and authorities to take action.

Google and YouTube spokespeople have claimed that they will remove every inappropriate clip, but it remains to be seen if the companies can act quickly - and thoroughly - enough. And even if Google is perfectly accommodating, new Nazi videos could be uploaded onto YouTube and complicate matters.

No timetables have been set for whatever sort of showdown may occur. In the meantime, Google is probably less than happy about the publicity it’s receiving due to this matter.

BBFC respond to Cameron's Fight Back plans

From MCV see full article

The BBFC has refuted David Cameron’s call for a review of its guidelines – and has been backed by the Government.

The Conservative Party leader this week revealed the Tories’ new ‘mini-manifesto’ on ‘Britain’s crisis’, entitled: It’s Time to Fight Back.

The dossier calls for an examination of the BBFC’s ‘regulatory framework’, in order to ensure that violence and misogyny are not directly promoted to young people.

But BBFC spokesperson Sue Clark told MCV: BBFC classification is based on what the public deems acceptable. We feel confident that we have public consent on how we deal with issues such as gun and knife crime.

And the Labour Government has also come out in defence of the BBFC. A DCMS spokesman told MCV: We have a strict enforcement code for people who supply ‘18’ or ‘15’ rated games to children. Adults can make their own decisions which games to play, as they can which films to watch.

 
Concern at aging Canadian censors

From The Chronicle Herald

An all party committee of the Nova Scotia legislature is expressing concern over the apparent lack of diversity on the province's film classification board.

The human resources committee has unanimously agreed to defer the appointments of 14 members of the board pending a response about the selection process from the Department of Environment and Labour.

New Democrat Howard Epstein put forward the motion and says it's time the province made sure that agencies, boards and commissions reflect the society they represent. He says seven of the 14 appointments are over the age of 60, something that doesn't reflect current population ratios despite the province's aging population.

The board appointees work part-time, reviewing and classifying all film and video released in Nova Scotia.