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 th