The Government reveal their nastiness

From Yahoo News, thanks to Franco

Crime figures are likely to rise for the first time in 12 years according to a leaked Downing Street document.

The leaked document was drawn up by the No 10 strategy unit and it is said to predict that the prison population could reach 100,000 within five years.

The report suggests the Government should consider rationing the amount of alcohol people can buy and "chemical castration" for sex offenders.

As they imprison blogger

Based on an article from International Herald Tribune

In Alexandria, Egypt, a 22 year old student blgger, Kareem Amer was sent to prison for over a month for allegedly defaming the president of Egypt and highlighting inappropriate aspects that harm the reputation of Egypt.

The basic right of individual free expression is sadly not respected in today's Egypt. Yet the authorities' decision to jail an obscure student for his writing reveals a larger struggle for free speech playing out between dissident bloggers and state prosecutors across the Middle East.

Protecting free speech in the Middle East hinges on the fate of young activists like Kareem Amer. Raised in a strict household, Amer was placed in Al-Azhar's religious school system at age six and watched as his sisters were forced to quit school and wear niqab, the full-body veil. After 18 years inside the Al-Azhar system, Amer rebelled. Rather than embrace the religious establishment, he became a critic of discrimination against women and non-Muslims.

Blogging became Amer's outlet — and his downfall. When Al-Azhar officials discovered a blogpost criticizing extremist professors, Amer was expelled and his case referred to the public prosecutor.

Although a human-rights lawyer accompanied Amer to his interrogation, prosecutors made clear they were indicting Amer for his beliefs. Do you fast on Ramadan? they demanded. Do you pray? They even insisted he reveal his opinions on the Darfur crisis. Amer would not retract his blogposts, so prosecutors threw him in jail — and laughed at the human-rights attorney present, openly mocking the concept of standing up for individual rights.

Moroccan authorities ban magazine

Opinion from the Magharebia

Back in September, Tel Quel magazine launched an Arabic-language sister publication, under the title Nichane. Now, like its French sister, the magazine is in hot water, reported The View From Fez.

The magazine was banned yesterday [December 20th] by the Moroccan authorities, by order of the prime minister's office, noted Laila Lalami.

The blogger added that issue #91, dated December 9th to the 15th, had a cover story on 'Jokes: How Moroccans Make Fun of Religion, Sex, and Politics.' It included a long article, written by Sanaa Al Aji … The jokes that were deemed particularly offensive were the ones dealing with religion … jokes that readers could just as easily have heard at work, at school, at home or at the café, and therefore they're nothing new.

A lawsuit has been filed against the magazine's director, and Sanaa Al Aji, the writer, for "insult to the Islamic faith" and publication and distribution of writings that are contrary to the morals and mores of the country. The trial is set for January 8th, and they risk prison terms of three to five years, added Mohamed Said Lahjouij.

   
Home Office looking to IWF as Internet content censors

From The Register
See also the full analysis

Based on recommendations in an unpublished report seen by The Register, which the IWF commissioned from Julia Unwin, OBE, a former charity commissioner, the IWF is considering revising its governance structure to become more independent of the industry that created it.

The IWF was founded in 1996 as ISPs' response to the threat of regulation. Although the IWF has at various times considered expanding the range of material it recommends for removal from British servers, it is not known to have gone beyond the illegal material it lists in its remit. Currently, this is: "child abuse images" hosted anywhere in the world, and also incitement to racial hatred and obscenity if hosted in the UK.

Peter Robbins, the IWF's executive director, notes, however: It's very rare for [the latter] to be hosted in the UK. There are always going to be debates about what is illegal content on the internet, but I think there is a clear understanding among people in the know, including on our board. That remit is paramount. Taking down child abuse images is very clear. It's illegal around the world, and there doesn't seem to be much dispute about what the definition of a child abuse image is. That's why it's successful.

Everyone quoted here is firmly against child abuse. Nonetheless, issues such as the IWF's accountability and the Home Office's desire for universal content blocking excite some controversy.

   
Computer games featuring Korean conflict no longer banned

From Gamespot

In South Korea, games which depict military and political actions against North Korea have previously been deemed to be too touchy with the current political situation between the two Koreas, and such titles have therefore not been released in South Korea. These include Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, and Mercenaries.

However, The Game Rating Board of Korea has announced that it will lift the ban and those titles will be available in 2007. According to a report in The Korea Times, Kim Key-man, the head of the Rating Board, said that this will come after "careful review of their contents" of such games. The reasoning behind the decision was said to be "to allow freedom of expression."

   
Destroyed the morals of the nation

From X Biz

Havoc broke out after a judge closed to the public the trial of Playboy Indonesia's editor-in-chief, who faces indecency charges.

Under Indonesian law, indecency trials are closed when witness testimony is being heard to supposedly avoid obscene material or discussions being made public.

Nearly three dozen Islamic protesters chanted "God is great" outside the South Jakarta District Courthouse, trying to force their way into the courtroom before court officials intervened. They threatened to bust the doors open if they weren’t granted access to the proceedings.

With the court’s closure, the protesters accused the judge of being partial toward Playboy, which they said had destroyed the morals of the nation.

   
To comment on the Dangerous Pictures Bill

From Phantom on The Melon Farmers Forum

David Cameron has a weblog where he invites issues for his comment.

There is a post asking Cameron to comment on the extreme porn proposal on there...

I think it's definitely worth voting for... apparently Cameron comments on the top five... given the numbers required that's easily achievable...

What are your views on the proposed legislation on ' violent pornography ' will you and your party be voteing for or against it.As the legislation stands possession of images of sexual violence or simulated sexual violence would mean prosecution and a possible 3 years prison sentence.If images are taken and kept involving two consenting adults for private use they could be prosecuted under the legislation. Would you vote for or against?, what are your reasons. What evidence is there to prove a link between viewing violent sexual pornography and committing a violent sexual criminal act. Articles 8&10 of the European Convention on Humans Rights would be breached .

Vote for Cameron to answer this question

   
Turkey tries editor of gay magazine

From adnki

Umut Guner, the editor in chief of Turkey's first and only lesbian and gay magazine, Kaos-GL, will be tried Thursday in the Turkish capital Ankara. Guner is charged with violating morality laws in a special edition of the magazine on pornography published in July. The prosecution seeks up to three years in prison for Guner, who is also the owner of the publication representing the Ankara-based Kaos Gay-Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association (Kaos-GL).

In July, a judge in Ankara ordered the confiscation of the Kaos-GL's edition, following the prosecution's immorality charges. Kaos-LG was notified of the decision on 24 July, when Turkey celebrates 'Press Freedom Day' and also the 98th anniversary of the official end of censorship. Later in August, the court in Ankara rejected an appeal against the confiscation order.

It is obvious that the Kaos-GL journal has nothing to do with those dozens of ‘erotic' or ‘pornographic' journals being published in our country, said the magazine in a statement: As the Kaos-GL, since the beginning in 1994, we have been struggling against associating homosexuality solely with sexuality and sexuality solely with pornography.

Kaos-GL was created over a decade ago as a civil society initiative promoting gay rights in Turkey through the publication of the Kaos-GL journal. In July 2005,the authorities gave Kaos-GL the status of a non-governmental organisation under the name of the Kaos Gay-Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association.

However, in September, the deputy governor of Ankara demanded that a court shut the association down, claiming it violated morality laws. The Ankara prosecutor's office however decided not to take action, noting that there was nothing immoral in the name or regulations of the organisation.

   
Saw III first 18 rated non-sex film

From The Scotsman

The French Culture Minister's decision to ban people younger than 18 from seeing the U.S. horror hit Saw III, have put media censorship at the forefront of public debate.

The 18 rating for Saw III, last applied to Michael Winterbottom's import 9 Songs in 2005, is used only in exceptional cases judged to be too extreme for the more ubiquitous 16 rating.

The movie's French distributor, Metropolitan, said it feared the move might be the precursor to similar decisions in the future: This is the first time that a measure of such gravity has been taken against a genre film. We hope that this decision will not strongly limit the possibility of distributing genre films in France whether  they are foreign or French, the company said.

On the question of film censorship, the commission for film classification president Sylvie Hubac said, Maybe it's the content that is becoming more violent rather than France becoming more strict.

All films intended for theatrical release in France have to be granted a visa by the Ministry of Culture, upon the recommendation of commission for film classification.

Certainly, Saw III, released November 22 in France, is the first film to be banned there for those younger than 18 under a ruling not justified by explicit sexual scenes. Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres cited the violence and incessant and unbearable sadism of scenes explicitly linked to physical and moral torture to justify his decision, made upon recommendation by the Commission for Film Classification.

Hubac added that Saw III was barred because of a pleasure in persecution and violent torture that just went too far."

The industry at large is looking closely at how some upcoming decisions, including ratings for Hostel 2 and The Hills Have Eyes 2 will come down.

   
Little support for anti-porn nutters

From SeeNoEvil

A few interesting facts on this

The SWAP petition consists of 750 signatures www.rcne.com/downloads/RepsPubs/Prcdngs.pdf. The online version only has one name according to its website!

Related to the BBC coverage of the original discussion of an inquiry, the BBC ran its own petition: Should adult pornography be banned in Scotland?

18% were for, 81% against. 9811 voted.

Thailand working alongside China

Opinion from the Bangkok Post

The government policy on internet censorship needs an immediate and sweeping rethink and change. This assumes it has a policy at all, given the current state of efforts to filter and block websites. The current effort to ''filter'' the internet, to use the word of the official censor, does little but add to the foreign perception that Thailand is under strong and constant control of a military government. The zeal of the official censor should alarm everyone whose aim is to establish a government that is accountable for its actions. Until the Sept 19 military coup, internet censors built power and ability. The Thaksin Shinawatra government occasionally tried to turn censorship into virtue by claiming it was all done on behalf of children. This is the familiar claim of all censors of course _ that they selflessly protect victims. But predictably, internet censorship under Thaksin immediately turned from an anti-pornography crusade into a political act.

Today, pornography is more freely accessible on the Thailand internet than ever. Censorship, meanwhile, has expanded into a secret bureaucracy which operates out of unknown offices. Censors provide neither explanation, warning nor appeal. They aim more and more at websites which are neither obscene nor a threat to children.

It was disturbing that military authorities officially appointed the modern Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology as national censor. The zeal and enthusiasm the new ICT minister and senior officials have shown is even more worrying. The ICT ministry was formed to be a leader in encouraging people to use and to develop technology wisely. The sight of such a ministry searching out nasty websites is troubling. That the ICT ministry is working, often alongside China, to develop better technology to block the internet is a setback for a future with information technology.

As official censor, Minister Sitthichai Pokai-udom has closed hundreds of discussion forums including the internationally famous Midnight University. The ministry has intimidated internet providers from carrying national debate or allowing political websites. The minister has made no statement to the public to defend, explain or justify his avid use of the firewall of censorship. Meanwhile, internet news sites now show Thailand as just slightly better than Burma or China at allowing net access by citizens, and far below the openness of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Before the Police Bureau on High Tech Crime stopped public reports earlier this month, it bragged it had blacklisted 34,437 websites. Of these ''illicit websites'' filtered since 2002, the police themselves said just 60% were pornographic. Nearly 4,000 were ordered closed by police because they allegedly violated national security. This, of course, is a well-known accusation and dodge by Thai censors. It is a carryover catchall, used to shutter newspapers and imprison innocent people decades before the internet came into existence.

The military regime says that its goal is to guide Thailand to a proper democratic system in less than a year. The unique and most admirable quality of democracy is accountability. So here is a suggestion for the government: Make internet censorship accountable. For starters, Sitthichai should explain and justify the actions of his ministry in closing off network access, debate, scientific exchange and discussion among citizens. For example, does a political chat session online equal a gathering of five people in the real world? Is it necessary to ban such sessions, and to close websites that encourage them?

The censors have failed miserably to halt access to online pornography, violence or gambling. Citizens should ask, then, what is the purpose of internet censorship? And the government should answer whether a free society can allow authorities to stifle a sincere exchange of views on the pretext of protecting children. Citizens should debate if there must be any limits on the internet; dozens of countries do well without them. If so, they must be decided openly and by everyone.

   
Adavadi banned

From Now Running

Adavadi, directed by Bharath Hanna, has been denied a certificate by an Indian Regional Censor Board on the grounds that some scenes would hurt the sentiments of a particular community. The director made a representation to the Censor Board officials but they stood the ground.

The producer and the director have now decided to go in appeal against the regional board's decision.

The veteran actor, Sathyaraj, plays the role of a film director. A particular scene to which the censor board members took strong exception is the one in which Sathyaraj feels distressed after visiting a home for the mentally-ill. In anguish he goes to a temple, delivers a long-winding dialogue abusing the deity for the evils in society and in uncontrollable fury, he damages the idol and throws it into a well, calling for the demolition of all temples which spawn mindless superstitions.

   
New Spanish law to censor criminal activity on the Internet

From Typically Spanish

The Spanish don’t like censorship. That’s understandable where the older members of the population remember the repression of a dictator.

Several Internet forums in Spain are currently full of people concerned at a new law being drafted – The Ley de Impulso de la Sociedad de la Información. This law gives the regional autonomous governments in Spain the power to close down web pages which they consider to be fraudulent. The Internet users protests that web pages are as publications, and as such cannot be censored. They say Internet pages cannot be considered apart from other media such as newspapers, books, the radio or TV.

The Ministry of Industry contends however that the new law intends only to stop criminal activity on the web. Frauds known as Phishing. for example, when people are tricked into giving the fraudsters their personal or financial data.

The Government also intends to give Internet Service Providers more work. The draft says that in the future they will have to keep their clients informed and supplied with programs to block visuses, spyware and spam – and even an adult content filter if requested.

   
Instructional Smoke Weed download causes stink

Based on an article from Easier
Similar sounding Smoke Weed available on YouTube

An instructional video demonstrating how 'Make the Perfect Joint' has been removed after thousands of UK teenagers downloaded the tutorial to their mobile phones. Tocmag (tocmag.com), the free user-generated mobile content service, moved quickly to delete the mobile magazine after a Bristol teacher alerted them to the issue.

The Tocmag was live for three days and generated over 5000 downloads to UK mobiles, mostly thought to be school children. Tocmags are automatically stored on mobile phone memories so it is impossible to know how many times it has been viewed.

The Tocmag video, entitled smoke-weed by its anonymous author, was accompanied by a six-page mini-magazine listing the top ten activities to try when you're caned.

As anyone can create and upload content onto mobiles free of charge, Tocmag employ a team of human censors to filter-out inappropriate material. However some publications have inevitably slipped through the net.

   
Banned radio show to be broadcast after BBC censorship

From The Scotsman

A radio comedy series shelved by the BBC amid concern over its fictional portrayal of Rolf Harris drawing the Prophet Muhammad is finally set to hit the airwaves - five months after being banned.

The Franz Kafka Big Band sparked a censorship row when Radio Scotland ordered revisions to the show's five episodes only days before it was due to be broadcast. A censored version of the Glasgow-based troupe's controversial first programme will now be aired at 12:30am on Thursday.

One segment of the episode features a cow apparently flying into New York's Twin Towers.

It is understood BBC officials refused to approve a sketch about troops in Israeli tanks playing easy-listening music while rolling into the Occupied Territories. However, it was deemed acceptable when rewritten to feature Indonesian troops entering East Timor.

   
Indonesian regulator join police in threatening TV companies

From Tempo Interactive

The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has asked that all television stations stop broadcasting TV programs with pornographic and violent content starting January 1, 2007.

If a station still violates this, we will make an official report to the police, said Ade Armando, KPI Chairman.

According to Ade, eight TV stations were reported for broadcasting pornographic and violent TV shows: Lativi, TPI, Trans TV, Indosiar, ANTV, SCTV, TV7 and RCTI.

Based on these reports, the police were already in fact able to take legal action. However, we asked the police not to take action, said Ade. KPI gave a decree of tolerance so that station managements can make improvements.

But in January, there will be no compromise. Prosecute one TV station that violates the law and this will intimidate other stations, said Ade.

KPI will monitor scenes in any TV program that has been reported by a member of the general public.

Chief Comm. Jhony Tangkudung, Main Investigator of Directorate V of Special Criminal Acts at Polri HQ, said he supported the KPI's attitude.

TV station managements that still violate the law could face a maximum of five years’ imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of Rp10 billion.

   
Censorship to preserve social, religious and cultural values

From the Daily Times

43 illegal Pakistani cable operators have been  closed down for obscene programming. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) conducted raids on the operators’ offices in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The authority confiscated the broadcasting equipment of 43 cable TV operators and imposed heavy fines on them.

PEMRA spokesman Muhammad Saleem said on Wednesday that showing pornographic and unethical contents was in violation of the authority’s code of ethics and ordinances

He said the authority had received complaints from the two cities against various legal and illegal cable operators for showing pornographic channels and programmes on their networks. He said the authority had taken many steps to control the propagation of obscenity and pornography by the operators, including about 1,301 licensed operators. He said the operators were informed through letters about the importance of Pakistan’s social, religious and cultural values. He said the authority had warned cable operators to abstain from obscenity, improve their service quality and address public complaints promptly in consonance with PEMRA Technical Standards and Code of Conduct.

   
Talk to us about freedom in Iran

Join us at IJ Net 

Journalists and freedom of information activists in Iran can access a new Web site aimed at facilitating discussion of Internet censorship.

The Web site, published by the UK-based group Article 19, was launched in London on December 18. The site is part of the group's new campaign against Internet censorship In Iran entitled The Persian Impediment

The main goal of the site is to allow users to monitor and debate online censorship in the Islamic Republic via an interactive Web log or blog. The address of the Web site is: www.persianimpediment.org

According to an article 19 press release, Iran has one of the most efficient Internet censorship systems in the world. However, this has not prevented the growth of a lively community of bloggers writing in both English and Persian.

   
Stolen in police raid

Presumably Blayney is in the repressive part of Australia sex shops are not allowed to sell hardcore (and that is the majority of the country)

From Blayney

Police seized a large quantity of DVDs and videos in a raid on an adult store in Ballarat yesterday.

The Ballarat Crime Investigation Unit executed a search warrant at Club X taking three hours to remove the items of interest.

Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Craig Dooley said the raid was carried out because the DVDs and videos failed to comply with the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Enforcement Act 1995, concerning

   
When is it ok to say fuck on primetime US TV?

From Huffington Post

Three of the nation's most distinguished judges heard arguments in Fox vs. the Federal Communications Commission yesterday over whether the FCC's recent decisions on what constitutes indecency, and under what circumstances, are "arbitrary and capricious" under the law and therefore must be overturned.

Under the nonjudgmental gaze of C-SPAN cameras that carried the proceedings live and uncensored in mid-morning on cable TV -- which is not subject to FCC indecency rules - the able lawyer for Fox, Carter Phillips, strode to the lectern and didn't finish his first paragraph before unflinchingly firing "fucking" and "cow shit" at the judges.

With the words that the FCC claims are poisoning a generation of America's youth now out of the closet, Judges Pierre Leval and Peter Hall joined in, unhesitatingly dropping the F-bomb as they sparred with both sides' counsel. Surely, this was the first time that word had been so strenuously invoked within that august courtroom. Meanwhile, Judge Rosemary Pooler chose to rely on euphemisms and the circumlocution "those words," yet still managed to zing the sharpest questions.

For those at home watching on TV - including, no doubt, many schoolchildren home for the holiday break - often soporific "public affairs television" suddenly got a lot more interesting. C-SPAN also repeated the oral argument last night in primetime, again uncensored, will repeat it again on Saturday night in primetime, and also posted it on its website for streaming. By its actions, C-SPAN implicitly argued that it's important for all Americans to have the opportunity to hear this debate, uncensored - and we don't believe it's harmful to children. Kudos to C-SPAN.

The judges appeared to agree with that perspective, repeatedly pressing the game FCC counsel on the Commission's "evidence" that supported its sweeping assertion that hearing naughty words on TV harms children. The Commission's counsel could cite none. And the judges seemed highly skeptical of the FCC argument that it needed to censor speech because some parents allowed their kids to have a television in their bedroom. If America's parents are willing to accept the risk that their children might hear dirty words on broadcast TV, well, wasn't that their right? asked Judge Pooler. Why was the FCC robbing parents of their freedom to choose what -- and what not -- to allow their children to watch?

What the judges' questioning clearly established is that the FCC "process" in judging what is "indecent" is arbitrary, subjective, and inconsistent, and that the Commission has likely overstepped its legal authority. In the opinion of most in the courtroom, the question was not whether the Second Circuit judges would overturn the FCC, but how quickly they would do it, and on what grounds. Stay tuned for the next episode of What the FCC Happened to Free Speech?

   
Italian Big Brother done for Blasphemy

Based on an article from Variety

Italian broadcasters RAI and Mediaset have been fined by the country's media regulator for airing blasphemous expletives during Celebrity Survivor and Big Brother.

Italy's regulator, Agcom,  has slapped sanctions of E100,000 apiece for violating norms on respect of religious sentiment and protection of minors.

Contestants on both shows were sacked on the spot after uttering strong swear words, directed at God, live in primetime. The incidents, which took place in October and November, were the first two of the type in this Catholic nation.

They caused quite a stir, drawing fire from nutters at Moige and Codacons, as well as the Vatican.

The fines, thought not that heavy monetarily, are considered a regulatory milestone.

   
Turkey continues with repressive freedom of speech law

From the BBC

Four Turks have been acquitted of insulting "Turkishness" in their translation of a book by prominent American writer Noam Chomsky.

Publisher Fatih Tas was found not guilty, along with a translator and two editors, of contravening article 301 of the penal code. Fatih Tas had published a Turkish version of Chomsky's book Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. It examines what part the media plays in setting social agendas, and criticises Turkey's treatment of its Kurdish minority.

Editors Omer Faruk Kurhan and Taylan Tosun, and translator Ender Abadoglu were also acquitted as the judge ruled there was no case to answer.

It followed the acquittal of another author, Ipek Calislar, on Tuesday. Calislar had been accused of insulting modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, by writing that he had once fled disguised as a woman.

The European Union has pressed Turkey to reform the code, which it views as a bar on freedom of expression.

   
Paul Chadwick appointed director of editorial policies

From The Age

Paul Chadwick says he will not be the ABC's "chief censor".

After his appointment yesterday as the ABC's first director of editorial policies, Chadwick said: I made it clear during the selection process that if the ABC wanted a chief censor, I would not want the job. The position was offered and accepted on the basis that the director of editorial policies is not to be a chief censor.

Chadwick, 47, has a long record as a strong public advocate for freedom of the media, accountability of the media and ethics in journalism. The father of two has been a journalist, author, lawyer and statutory officer.

   
Critical Bali bombing documentary banned

From The Scotsman

Indonesian censors have barred a documentary on the 2002 Bali bombings from being shown at the Jakarta International Film Festiva over concerns that remarks made by one of the bombers in the film could encourage terrorist attacks.

Titie Said, the head of the national film censor board, said yesterday the 70-minute film had been banned after one of the bombers had suggested carrying out suicide bombings was a way to enter heaven.

Promised Paradise, directed by Dutchman Leonard Retel Helmrich, explores the roots of the Bali nightclub bombings. A another film festival guide describes the film: At the heart of his political and spiritual quest, a haunting picture persists; how can one believe that killing can lead to heaven? Agus expresses his indignation towards the attacks on the streets of Bali and Jakarta. The film is a critical gaze on Indonesia that is constantly on the brink of conflict.

Lalu Roisamri, programme manager of the Jakarta International Film Festival, said he had yet to receive an official letter banning the film.

   
Court hears plea for decent regulation of US TV

From AVN

Arguments will be heard Wednesday by a federal appeals court concerning the First Amendment rights of broadcasters, and whether the government's decisions on what constitutes indecent speech violate those rights.

Broadcasters will argue that an inconsistent and unconstitutional enforcement policy has been adopted and enacted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in regard to how it decides whether profanities uttered on broadcast stations are permissible.

On the other side of the issue, the FCC will argue that it has acted within its authority.

If the government loses its case, the appeals court will likely remand the dispute to the agency and ask it to rewrite its rules. If the government wins, it gives "court approval for the significant expansion of their approach to indecency enforcement.

   
Jeremy Clarkson reprimanded for gay remark

From Pink News

Four viewers complained about an exchange during BBC Two’s Top Gear last July in which Jeremy Clarkson picked up a remark from an audience that a certain car was "gay", the presenter then backed it up by saying, a bit gay, yes very ginger beer which is cockney rhyming slang for queer.

The BBC’s Editorial Complaints Unit agreed that the remarks risk offending some of our audience.

The ruling stated, As Jeremy Clarkson supplemented the term "gay" with a phrase which is rhyming slang for "queer", there was no doubt that it was being used in the sense of "homosexual", and was capable of giving offence.

The judgement called for the show to be reminded of the importance of avoiding derogatory references to sexual orientation.

   
The beheading Mohammed show opened

From WKRN

Under heavy security, a controversial production of Mozart's opera Idomeneo returned to the stage Monday without incident.

A powerful male voice called out "stop it!" and "boo!" as the heads of Islam's founder, along with those of Jesus, Buddha and Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, came tumbling out of a sack hefted by Idomeneo.

But several voices from the other side of the hall yelled, "continue, continue," their cheers clashing with the voice of the critic, and the cast.

The reactions were somewhat anticlimactic. Plainsclothes security personnel lined the hall throughout the performance and audience members had to pass through metal detectors out of fears that the severed-heads scene could arouse unrest. Officials said 100 police officers were on duty.

The scene that started all the trouble is the creation not of Mozart but of director Hans Neuenfels, who called it his personal protest against all organized religion.

   
8 Indonesian TV channels under threat

From ABU

Indonesian authorities are investigating eight private television channels in the country for allegedly broadcasting indecent material and excessive violence.

The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission lodged a complaint yesterday against the channels, after repeatedly issuing warnings that their programming violated government regulations.

It was the latest attempt by Indonesian government-funded agencies in recent months to ban content deemed immoral or violent.

   
How should the babe channels be regulated?

From Ofcom
See in particular Participation TV: how should it be regulated?

Ofcom has set out its next steps towards a potential tightening of the rules around so-called participation television channels and programmes. These services - typically quiz, psychic and adult chat services - rely heavily upon interaction with viewers, usually by means of premium rate telephone lines.

Ofcom’s issues paper has been published in the context of:

• a changing media environment where the boundaries between programming and advertising are becoming increasingly blurred as broadcasters seek new revenue streams. This has led to a rapid increase in the number of participation television services
• an ongoing review by ICSTIS, the premium rate regulator, of television quiz services which seeks to assess whether pricing and the element of chance involved are sufficiently transparent to viewers
• the Gambling Commission’s recent discussion document focusing on the boundary between lotteries and competitions. This seeks to ensure quiz television services operate within the boundaries of gambling legislation.

Ofcom’s issues paper sets out, and asks for views on, the areas which Ofcom proposes to address in its full public consultation in the new year. Ofcom is also seeking views on the broader question of how the content of these services should be regulated. Specifically, should these services be considered as editorial – subject to the Ofcom Broadcasting Code – or advertising – subject to the Advertising Code enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The issues paper also asks for views as to whether there may be a more appropriate alternative way to regulate these services.

Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code, which applies to editorial material, allows as much freedom of expression as is consistent with the law, provided it is editorially justified and the audience is given appropriate information. However, broadcast advertising regulation has greater emphasis on consumer protection, with specific rules to ensure that audiences are not misled.

The deadline for responses is 31 January 2007. For further details see Participation TV: how should it be regulated?

Ofcom's concerns about the babe channels are transcribed below

3.15 These services usually have the following features:

• they are unencrypted; one or more female presenters, often referred to on-air as “babes”, repeatedly asks viewers to call a premium rate number in order to talk to them (or to an offscreen “babe”)
• the premium rate number is displayed on-screen throughout
• on dialling the number, a caller is presented with a number of options, including connecting to the onscreen presenter or connecting to an off-screen “babe”. Before being able to speak to any “babe”, callers are often kept on hold for extended periods or must listen to lengthy recorded messages
• phone conversations with the onscreen presenter are not audible to viewers; while the presenter is on the phone, there is either recorded music or another “babe” talks to viewers, usually doing little more than asking viewers to call in
• we are aware that many of the phone calls – whether taken on- or off-air – are adult and sexual in nature, even pre-watershed
• the way in which the on-screen presenter is dressed and behaves, and the language used, become increasingly adult and sexual as the day progresses, particularly after the watershed
• viewers are also repeatedly asked to send text messages or to text other premium rate numbers; it is often unclear what relation these numbers have to the editorial content of the programme.

3.16 The adult chat genre has existed for a few years and pre-dates the Broadcasting Code. However, these services have proliferated and changed in format over recent years – with an increasing emphasis on the PRS element and less on the editorial, and little (if any) direct interaction with the presenter.

3.17 Adult chat services are currently categorised as editorial and must therefore comply with the standards set out in the Broadcasting Code; the rules regarding protection of under-18s and ensuring adequate protection against harm and offence are particularly relevant to this genre (however, these issues will be outside the scope of the consultation). With reference to Section Ten of the Broadcasting Code, we currently have concerns about the prevalence in these programmes of messages to viewers to call a premium rate number. It is also unclear how the phone calls made by viewers contribute to the editorial content of the programme. Often the television content appears to be little more than a continuing promotion for an adult chat premium rate service, particularly as most viewers appear not to get through to the on-screen “babe” but instead are connected to an off-screen service.

3.18 The BCAP Advertising Code restricts the advertising of premium rate services of a sexual nature to encrypted elements of adult channels only. There is an argument that these adult chat television services are essentially commercial in nature and, in effect, a form of advertising. It could therefore also be argued that one of the consequences of being categorized as editorial is that these services are currently circumventing the advertising prohibition. Categorizing adult chat services as advertising, and therefore making them subject to the BCAP Advertising Code, would therefore have significant consequences for the genre, given that a number of these services are currently operating on open-access, unencrypted channels.

   
The beheading Mohammed show will go on

From Brooks Bulletin

Security will be high at Monday's Deutsche Oper production of Mozart's Idomeneo. The security measures for the performance, which include electronic screening of opera goers.

It's a case of art meeting religious sensibility, and a decision that the show must go on, despite concerns that the production, featuring the severed head of the Prophet Muhammad, could prompt violence.

Security fears initially led the opera house to cancel plans to revive the production, but a city proud of its openness, tolerance and artistic verve was aghast.

While some Muslim leaders praised the decision, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned against "self-censorship out of fear," and Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, in charge of police, described it as "crazy."

So the show is back and the police say they are ready for any eventuality.

Kolat, the head of Germany's Turkish community, has said he plans to attend, as has Schaeuble, the interior minister. Ali Kizilkaya, head of Germany's Islamic Council, whose presence would have done much to defuse potential tensions, will not be there.

Instead of an opera where Muhammad and Christ are beheaded, I ... would hope for a debate in society about whether everything should be allowed for the sake of art, he said, in indirect criticism of the decision to stage the production.

Tickets were still available just a few days before the performance. This is one of Mozart's less-known operas, said an opera spokesman about the relative lack of interest.

   
For illegally speaking in public before Singapore elections

From The Sydney Morning Herald

Amnesty International has called on the Singapore government to stop using stringent laws and defamation suits to muzzle critics.

The call comes as Chee Soon Juan, leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), ends his five-week jail term, for failing to pay a S$5,000 ($A4,159) fine for illegally speaking in public before elections in May.

Amnesty International said it is concerned about the continuing use of restrictive laws and civil defamation suits in Singapore to penalise and silence peaceful critics of the government These laws, together with "politically motivated" defamation suits, have created in Singapore a "climate of political intimidation and self-censorship", and belie "the government's repeated claims that it is building an 'open society'.

Singapore bans public gatherings of more than four people without a police permit. Public speaking is also prohibited unless the speaker has been licensed by the government.

Chee, one of Singapore's most vocal opposition politicians, is also facing a defamation suit launched by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father Lee Kuan Yew over an article in the SDP's newsletter.

He has been jailed five times since 1999 for speaking in public without a permit, and for questioning the independence of Singapore's judiciary.

   
Nutters object to spoof Christmas carol

From Agape

Pro Family nutters are laying into CBS Television over a sexually-charged rendition of a popular Christmas carol.

The Monday (December 11) episode of the network's popular sitcom Two and a Half Men featured actor Charlie Sheen singing a song about extramarital sex to the tune of "Joy to the World," a well-known hymn about the birth of Christ. In the parody song, Sheen boasts in anticipation about having sex on Christmas Eve on his second date with a woman.

Joy to the world, I’m getting laid; I’m getting laid tonight. We’ll light the yule log, deck the halls, and then we’ll play some jingle balls. It’s been a real long wait, this is our second date! It’s Christmas Eve and I’m getting laid. Glo-oh-oh-oh-oh-ria, tonight I’m boinking Gloria!

Bob Knight is director of the Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute. He says the airing of Sheen's irreverent song suggests that CBS has gone into "Hollywood mode" in an effort to shock and to get more press: You know, it's bad enough that Two and a Half Men is a non-stop sex joke with a kid right in the middle of the set. But when they take on a Christmas carol that's beloved by millions and pervert it into an anthem of alley cat culture -- which is what the show's all about; it's not about men, it's about alley cats -- then they've gone over the line.

Pro-family nutter activist Don Wildmon, founder and chairman of the American Family Association (AFA), is encouraging fellow Christians to contact CBS and voice their displeasure over the episode

Wildmon says CBS and Sheen have used the Christmas season to ridicule and mock Christ, Christmas and Christians, and the network apparently approved the actor's vulgar adaptation of a favorite Christian Christmas carol, knowing full well that the parody would offend believers.

   
Only suitable for immature players

From mygen

The OFLC, The Australian censor, has a ‘National Classification Code’ which sets out several principal guidelines. One of these guidelines reads as follows: adults should be able to read, hear and see what they want

However this does not apply to computer games as those suitable for adults only are automatically banned in Australia from both supply and possession.

In 2002 there was a big push to introduce and adults only rating, ‘R18+’ into Australia’s classification scheme. Attorney-General Daryl Williams fought against the proposed changes by grasping onto the “fact” that games have a greater influence on behavior due to their interactive nature. This “fact” is rather a widely accepted lie.

Opposition also came in the form of churches and community groups. The kind of people who probably have never picked up a controller, instead, at least in the church’s case, would prefer to influence the youth with stories of holy wars, torture, vengeance and gruesome violence.

Lack of flexibility in the Australian classification scheme not only affects the rapidly expanding gaming community, but also the industry as a whole. Earlier this year Atari was about to launch Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure worldwide. Everything was ready in Australia, the game had passed through the OFLC months before and acquired an MA15+ rating. Only days before the game was to be released, Attorney-General Phillip Ruddock pressured the OFLC into submission and the game was re-rated to ‘Rrefused Classification’. It would now be illegal for the game to be sold, rented, loaned or imported in Australia.

Ruddock did not seem to appreciate the implications of such a decision. Launching a video game costs a lot of money. Millions of dollars are put into marketing the product and distribution. To be told only two days before launch was an event which dealt a heavy blow against Atari, but left a wound on the Australian gaming market.

Atari said: It’s unfortunate that during this day and age a government will implement censorship policies which are tantamount to book burning practices from the past.

   
Realistic Images of Cartoon Abuse

Thanks to Peter

Vernon Coaker 23 Nov 2006:

"Although cartoons depicting child abuse are deeply offensive, they do not in themselves constitute abuse of a child. The 1978 Act is well understood by those who work with it and enforce it and there are substantial arguments against extending its scope to cover cartoons of child pornography."

John Reid 13 Dec 2006:

"There is no higher purpose for government than to protect children. To that end, I am currently consulting cabinet colleagues about how we might ban the possession of computer-generated images of child abuse, including cartoons or other graphic illustrations of children being abused". "

 
Nudity per se is not obscenity according to Indian court

From The Hindu

Nudity per se is not obscenity. While considering whether a picture is obscene or not, it is essential to determine first the quality and nature of the material published and the category of readers, the Indian Supreme Court said.

Dismissing a petition seeking a ban on publication of obscene photographs in newspapers, a Bench comprising Justice A.R. Lakshmanan and Justice Tarun Chatterjee said: Where art and obscenity are mixed, what must be seen is whether the artistic, literary or social merit of the work in question outweighs its obscene content. In judging whether a particular work is obscene, regard must be had to contemporary mores and national standards.

Writing the judgment, Mr. Justice Lakshmanan quoted a U.S. Supreme Court ruling and said: Articles and pictures in a newspaper must meet the Miller test's constitutional standard of obscenity in order for the publisher or the distributor to be prosecuted for obscenity. Nudity alone is not enough to make material legally obscene.

A culture of responsible reading should be inculcated in the readers of any news article, the Court observed. A hypersensitive person could subscribe to any newspaper of his choice, which might not be against his standards of morality. The Bench said the Press Council of India had suggested amendments to certain provisions of the Press Council Act to arm the Council with the authority to recommend de-recognition of erring newspapers for government advertisement or withdrawal of the accreditation granted to a journalist. The present scenario provided for a regulatory framework under which punishment was prescribed for the print/electronic media for flouting Press Council standards.

The Bench said the Government should seriously look into the Press Council request and make appropriate amendments in the public interest.

Hyped violence not so violent as it is rated only 13

The controversial Left Behind game has received a 'T' rating, which means the game is for children 13 and older because of violence.

The game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces depicts a crusade of violence by Christians, set in post-apocalyptic New York and featuring God's army battling the Antichrist.

Critics, including a Florida clergyman, have demanded the game be banned, and one leading retailer has already pulled it from its shelves, sources reported.

   
Fiji editor to be deported

From IFEX

Fiji's Daily Post Editor is to be Deported. The International Press Institute (IPI) is deeply concerned by the ongoing intimidation and censorship of the Fijian press since the military coup d'état of 5 December 2006. In the most alarming development, Fiji's Daily Post Editor-in-Chief, Robert Wolfgramm, is to be deported.

Commenting on these events, IPI director Johann P. Fritz said, At times of crisis the Fijian people must be allowed to rely on an independent media. Wolfgramm's deportation is a flagrant attempt to influence the media's reporting and it is further evidence that the perpetrators of the coup are more interested in protecting their own image than in upholding basic constitutional rights.

We once again urge the Fijian military to respect freedom of expression and the freedom to hold opinions without interference as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Fritz said.

Staff members at the Daily Post were subjected to violent threats in the period leading up to the coup, which forced the newspaper to temporarily close its offices. Although violent threats have stopped since the coup was first carried out, soldiers have been posted intermittently in the offices of media organisations, and journalism is being conducted in an environment, which IPI's sources have described as "paranoid" and "uncertain."

In the most recent development, military officials paid an afternoon visit to the offices of the Daily Post on 14 December to issue instructions to the newspaper's editorial staff. These instructions included an order to cease printing any photographic material showing the Fijian military holding guns, as well as an order to reduce negative reporting of the military's actions.

Approximately one hour later at 4.30 pm local time, the military returned to the newspaper's headquarters and "requested" that Wolfgramm accompany them to the Queen Elizabeth barracks in Fiji's capital, Suva, for a further meeting. During the meeting, Wolfgramm's Australian passport was confiscated and he was informed that he would be deported from Fiji on 15 December.

   
Ofcom consult on which rights to abuse next

From Ofcom
See also venues and dates

As convergence occurs, consumers are seeking increased control. They want to personalise the services they use, downloading programmes on demand, filtering content unsuitable for children, and using personal video recorders to create their own viewing schedules.

Another feature of the new communications landscape is increasing participation. People are producing their own video clips and sharing them online. They are writing blogs and bypassing traditional media. They are forming communities, interacting and engaging online.

This era of convergence will also be characterised by disruption. Traditional business models are under threat – commercial broadcasters must compete for viewers and advertising in a world where there are dozens of channels.

The changes which are under way can also cause anxiety. Lots of parents worry about how to protect their children in the online world, and many people are anxious about the switch to digital TV. Others may fear being excluded because of where they live, their level of income or their lack of technological know-how.

In order to meet the challenges of convergence, it is now important for us to look forward and provide a clear sense of how we will respond to the changes which are happening in the communications sector. Our Draft Annual Plan for 2007/8 therefore sets out a three-year strategic policy framework, which describes our key areas of focus for the next three years. The Draft Annual Plan also describes our proposed policy priorities for 2007/8, which are a mixture of new and ongoing work.

We are keen to share and test our ideas and look forward to receiving your comments and opinions. We invite your written responses by 20 February 2007, which is the closing date of the consultation. There will also be a series of public events throughout the UK where you will be able to put forward your views. You can find details on our website:

   
Another attack on porn

Some very worrying possibilities here

From Hansard

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Obscene Publications Act 1959 applies to internet websites offering pornographic material, with particular reference to child protection on the internet; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Obscene Publications Act 1959 applies to all published material whether on the Internet or offline. Material is published if it is circulated, distributed, sold, given, lent or offered to another person. It will be deemed to be obscene if the court finds that its effect is such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely to read, see or hear it.

The Criminal Law Subgroup of the Home Secretary’s Task Force on Child Protection on the Internet has considered the implications of a judgement in the Court of Appeal (R v. Perrin [2002] EWCA crim 747) which indicated that where children are likely to access material of a degree of sexual explicitness equivalent to what is available to those aged 18 and above in a licensed sex shop, that material may be considered to be obscene and subject to prosecution. This applies to material which is not behind a suitable payment barrier or other accepted means of age verification, for example, material on the front page of pornography websites and non-commercial, user-generated material which is likely to be accessed by children and meets the threshold.

   
Indonesian Playboy targeted as the world's icon of pornography

From Pravda

Indonesian Playboy was targeted for prosecution by a hardline Islamic group because it is the world's icon of pornography, a prominent member testified in the trial of Playboy's editor.

The co-chairman of the Front for Islamic Defenders, who goes by the single name Baharuzaman, filed a complaint with police which led to the indecency charges against editor-in-chief Erwin Arnada. He could face up to 36 months in prison if convicted.

Appearing as a witness at the South Jakarta District Court, Baharuzaman said Playboy violated norms of morality and politeness. Our organization targeted it because it is the global icon of pornography, he said.

Unlike dozens of foreign editions, the Indonesian version has no nudity. Indonesian tabloids publish more explicit photos than Playboy and pornographic films are widely sold at black markets across the country.

   
BBC Three announces some racy titles

From Metro

BBC Three has commissioned a raft of programmes with titles like Teens Addicted To Porn, Me And My Man Breasts, Lucy: Teenage And Transsexual, My Big Breasts And I, F*** Off I'm A Hairy Woman, and Sex Talk With Mum And Dad.

The latter employs the techniques of a Dutch sexologist and family therapist who believes that by shaking off embarrassment and talking openly about sex the family unit can be strengthened.

The programme publicity says: Our expert believes that if families can be open with one another about sex then they'll be able to trust each other about anything and everything else. But that doesn't mean it's going to be any less awkward to hear about dad's first time or mum's stash of sex toys.

   
BBFC discuss the 12A certificate for Casino Royale

From The Melon Farmers Forum

Salvor comments on a BBFC reply to his email:

"..a clear sense of the content of films and videos/DVDs, to enable people to make informed decisions about their viewing .."

Someone should tell Ofcon! - Informed decisions - precisely!

From the BBFC:

The Board's Guidelines at '12A' state that: "Violence must not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood. Sustained moderate threat and menace are permitted". Although the film contains intermittent sight of blood and brief sight of bullet wounds, it lacks the focus that would generate a '15'. Similarly, the torture scene in the film does not contain elements that would have resulted in the film receiving a '15' classification - there is no detail of impact, blood or injury, and the fact that Bond character jokes about the torture, distracts from the implications of what is taking place. It should be pointed out that the use of humour in forms of quips or puns at moments of violence has been a Bond 'signature' throughout the film franchise's long history. They are often used just as Bond has murderously despatched an opponent. The overall tone of Casino Royale is similar to other action adventure films classified '12A' such as the Bourne series.

Although children under 12 may see a '12A' film with an adult, the classification does not indicate that it is suitable for them. Indeed, the classification indicates that the film contains material which may upset or be considered unsuitable for children under 12. As you note, the responsibility for allowing under-12s to view lies with the accompanying adult. The BBFC realises that the maturity and development of children varies considerably, especially around this age, and that the parents know better than anyone else how mature their child is and what content they will be able - and unable - to handle. We have given parents the ability to exercise this decision.

However, we do advise adults to think carefully before taking a child under 12 to see a '12A' film and to this end we provide Consumer Advice (CA) to help them make an informed decision about what their children view. We provide Consumer Advice (CA) for every film and DVD we classify. The purpose of CA is to convey to the public (particularly those responsible for children) a clear sense of the content of films and videos/DVDs, to enable people to make informed decisions about their viewing and that of their children. It is also used to signal the presence of material which may be of particular issue to some viewers (for example, a child abuse theme). This CA is usually displayed on the publicity and packaging of films and DVDs. It is also available on our main website. The CA for Casino Royale notes that the film contains "one scene of torture and strong action violence" which should indicate to parents the nature of the film, and its suitability for their children to view.

The BBFC is confident that the version currently being shown in UK cinemas is the version we have classified.

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to express your views to us. I trust this response has gone some way in reassuring you that the BBFC takes its function of classifying film and video/DVD works seriously, and that we are taking significant steps in making the viewing public aware of what they plan to watch. Please be assured that the BBFC takes these issues seriously, and that your comments will be noted.

   
Normal, even in conservative Malaysia

From IBN live

Porn surfing may be admonished in some states, but Malaysia seems to have taken a rather liberal stand on the issue, despite the Islamic state of Kelantan topping the list of users who visit local pornographic websites.

Internet surfers from Kelantan have searched for entries like "bogel" (nudity), "gambar bogel" (nude pictures), "seks Melayu" (sex involving Malays) and "cerita seks" (sex stories).

However, this doesn’t seem to have perturbed Malaysian psychologists who say the phenomenon is “normal.”

University Malaya psychologist Jas Laile Suzana Jaafar says the trend is not alarming, especially in a state like Kelantan that practised conservative policies in sensitive matters like sexuality: If teenagers ask their parents or peers, how much information can they get? In Kelantan, parents are not open to talking about sexuality with their children.

However, she also advised caution in reading into statistics as the data in Google Trends did not give a full picture by not showing information such as the age group of the internet users.

The government has lost its marbles

From The Guardian

The government plans to ban the possession of computer-generated images of child abuse.

The move is one of a number of initiatives announced today at the first meeting of the task force for child protection on the internet.

There is no higher purpose for government than to protect children, said the home secretary, John Reid, who chaired the meeting. To that end I am currently consulting cabinet colleagues about how we might ban the possession of computer-generated images of child abuse, including cartoons.

He added that while such images are often found stored alongside illegal material held by paedophiles, and it is illegal to distribute them, it has been "entirely legal" to possess them.

It's too early to say whether something will or not be in a law that we haven't started consulting on, a Home Office spokesperson said. We're putting together a consultation document - we're just at the starting point.

$1.6 million fine for minor infraction

From Yahoo News

The Girls Gone Wild video empire agreed to pay $1.6 million and its founder was sentenced to community service for filming drunken, 17 year old girls for their videos.

Mantra Films Inc. pleaded guilty in a case that stemmed from its use of two 17-year-olds in its DVDs and videos, which feature young women baring their breasts in public. The videos at issue were filmed on Panama City Beach during spring break in 2003.

U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak ordered Mantra's founder, Joe Francis, to read aloud in court a victim impact statement from one of the women, who said she was emotionally tormented by her appearance on a Girls Gone Wild video and that the video damaged her relationship with her family.

Smoak told Francis he added the community service because it did not appear a fine would be a meaningful punishment.

Francis said his policy has always been not to film girls under 18 and that the two filmed in Panama City lied about their ages.

According to court papers, Mantra Films, based in California, admitted violating record-keeping and labeling laws.

The judge ordered Francis, his company president, general counsel and chief financial officer to each perform eight hours of community service monthly for the next 30 months.

Pink News publicises Downing Street petitions

From Pink News

Different factions of the gay community are being urged to support one of two differing petitions on a new law regarding “violent pornography.”

The Criminal Justice Bill, unveiled in last month’s Queen’s Speech, would ban the possession of online and printed porn depicting "scenes of extreme sexual violence," a move opposed by some activists who claim the law is too vague and could lead to innocent people being prosecuted despite consenting to activities.

One petition to the Prime Minister is calling for the repeal of the Bill, it currently has nearly 900 signatures. It claims, This proposed law would create a Thought Crime making it illegal to possess "sexual images" that, in the subjective opinion of members of the Home Office, show activities ‘liable to cause serious injury or death’ even if the participants were consenting adult actors.

Louise Morris, a member of the bondage, domination and sadomasochistic (BDSM)
community, told PinkNews.co.uk: I could well be an innocent victim of this new bill if it is made law. The government do not recognise an image as being that of consensual "play," all they see is a crime that could and will create serious harm or death. They want to dictate what my sexuality is and how I should be doing things. I know that the gay community themselves had a battle with acceptance not so long ago, and you all fought it and gained a huge amount of respect from everyone because you are open, you showed that your sexuality was indeed yours.

However, more support appears to have been generated for a petition calling for the law to be extended to 18 rated pornographic material. The petition, launched by Mediawatch, and signed by over a thousand people, states, We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to steadfastly proceed with plans announced in the Queen's Speech to make possession of extreme pornography illegal and to include a much wider range of pornographic imagery, such as R18 material, within the scope of the Criminal Justice Bill.

George Bush, World's No 1 Terrorist t-shirt banned

From The Age

An Australian was barred from a Qantas London-Melbourne flight unless he removed a T-shirt depicting George Bush as the world's number one terrorist. Allen Jasson was also prevented from catching a connecting flight within Australia later the same day unless he removed the offending T-shirt.

Jasson says Qantas and Virgin Blue were engaging in censorship but the airlines say the T-shirt was a security issue and could affect the sensitivities of other passengers.

The woman at the security check-in just said to me, 'You are not wearing that', Jasson said.  He was first told he would need to turn the T-shirt inside-out before he would be allowed to board the Qantas flight.

I told her I had the right to express my opinion, he said: She called other security and other people got involved. Ultimately, they said it was a security issue . . . in light of the present situation.

After a prolonged argument about freedom of speech and expression, Jasson said a Qantas gate manager said he could not fly at all unless he wore another T-shirt.

I felt I had made my point and caved in, Jasson said. But after arriving in Australia, Jasson said he put his Bush T-shirt back on and was again banned from boarding a connecting flight – this time a Virgin Blue plane from Adelaide to Melbourne.

It was argued other passengers could be offended, Mr Jasson said: I said it was most offensive that I would be prevented from expressing my political views.

Indian Government wins case to ensure film festival entries are censored

From X Biz

The Indian Supreme Court have stayed a Bombay High Court order granting exemptions to film producers from obtaining mandatory censor certification for screening their feature and non-feature films at the National Film Awards (NFA) contests.

A bench of judges B.P. Singh and Tarun Chatterjee granted the stay after hearing Solicitor General G.E. Vahanvati for the information and broadcasting ministry.

Earlier, only two categories of films were allowed to be included for consideration for the awards without the Censor Board's certificate: diploma films made by film institute students and those made by the state broadcaster Doordarshan.

On a petition from documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan and others, the high court struck down the regulations and directed that even those films that did not obtain prior certification should be granted entry into the NFA contests.

The central government has appealed before the apex court against that order. The government argues that if the purview of exemption was widened, it would render certification of films meaningless.

Indian court disallows petition to ban adult debate

From The Hindu

Imposing a blanket ban on publishing obscene photographs and material in newspapers will violate the right to freedom of speech and expression enjoyed by the press, the Supreme Court held on Tuesday.

A blanket ban on the publication of certain photographs and news items etc., will lead to a situation where the newspaper will be publishing material which caters only to children and adolescents and the adults would be deprived of their share of entertainment permissible under the normal norms of decency in any society, said a Bench consisting of Justices A.R. Lakshmanan and Tarun Chatterjee.

In his petition, advocate Ajay Goswami drew the court's attention to the publication in the press, in particular in The Times of India and Hindustan Times, of obscene photographs, SMS jokes, and articles on pornography and sex education, categorised to be seen only by adults. He sought a ban on such publications.

Writing the judgment, Justice Lakshmanan said any step to ban publishing certain pieces of news or pictures would fetter the independence of free press, which is one of the hallmarks of our democratic set-up. The incidence of shielding the minors should not be that the adult population is restricted to read and see what is fit for children.

In view of the availability of sufficient safeguards in terms of various legislation, norms and rules and regulations to protect society in general and children in particular from obscene and prurient contents, we are of the opinion that the writ at the instance of the petitioner is not maintainable, the Bench said and dismissed the petition.

China targets online gaming

From the BBC

China is enforcing more monitoring of online games after some were found to contain banned religious or political material. Some were criticised as pornographic or too violent.

The announcement adds to government controls on Chinese newspapers, television and other media.

China has more than 23 million online gamers, generating revenues of more than $850m (£440m) a year.

Distributors must now obtain approval before releasing new games. Companies must also submit monthly monitoring reports, confirming developers have not added forbidden content.

The latest round of enforcement was prompted by a rash of problems with imported online games, some of which contain sensitive religious material or refer to territorial disputes, Xinhua said.

Pornography bill threatens pluralism in Indonesia

From Asia Media

An alliance of organisations have filed a lawsuit with the Central Jakarta District Court against the House of Representatives over a bill they say endangers the multireligious and multicultural character of Indonesia.

The Alliance of Unity in Diversity Advocates demanded the House drop the highly controversial pornography bill, which they say is based on Islamic values and threatens pluralism in the country.

Lawyers for the alliance said court officials promised to process the lawsuit within three weeks at the latest: It's a big deal because it's the first time that a civil group has filed a lawsuit against a state institution. We hope to teach the House a lesson from this case, lawyer Daniel Panjaitan said: The bill should have dealt with the distribution of pornographic materials, not prescribe how citizens must behave according to the moral standards of a particular religion.

The bill has received strong backing from some Muslim groups, notably hard-line groups that openly seek the adoption of sharia-based laws. But it has been opposed by pro-democracy, women's and human rights groups.

Daniel said lawmakers, in drafting the bill, failed to accommodate input from civil society. The organisation also said the committee deliberating the pornography bill issued two versions of the draft, one having 93 chapters and the other 36 chapters. They say no reason has ever been offered for the different versions.

Alliance coordinator Ratna Sarumpaet said people were tired of the "political games" being played by groups in the House eager to see the bill endorsed: We see a grand scenario behind the bill. It's an attempt to make Indonesia an Islamic state. It has to do with the issuance of sharia bylaws in certain regions. We raised this issue with the (Islamic-based) Prosperous Justice Party faction (in the House) but they were tight-lipped. For us their silence means 'yes,'

It is no longer necessary for the House to pass a pornography law because it is already covered in the Criminal Code and existing laws such as the broadcasting and press laws. Pluralism is the nation's main characteristic and we have to accept local cultures and traditional customs.

She claimed Bali, Papua, North Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara, where Muslims are the minority, had threatened to break away from Indonesia if the House pushed through the bill.

From GamesIndustry.biz

Gianni Zamo, senior examiner for the BBFC, has defended the decision to award Rockstar's Canis Canem Edit (originally titled Bully)  a 15 certificate.

You can understand the concerns of a subject that hits the headlines fairly frequently in this country. Often the truth is far less dramatic than the myth that's put around it, Zamo told GamesIndustry.biz: Certainly Canis Canem Edit is not the monster, demon game that's going to turn our children into horrific and violent individuals.

Many of those who campaigned against the release of Canis Canem Edit criticised the game for featuring violence between schoolchildren and against teachers. But according to Zamo, the violence is neither as graphic nor as gratuitous as may have been assumed: It's much more considered in its approach I would say, and quite carefully balanced in terms of what you can get away with as this character and the consequences of anything you might do.

It's not just a free-for-all, go out and kick the living daylights out of everybody - there are penalties for engaging in anti-social behaviour, so I think Rockstar have been careful to balance it out in that respect.

Canis Canem Edit was released in the UK on October 27 and went straight into the all-formats top ten, despite the refusal of some major retailers to stock the game. Canis Canem Edit is currently at number eight in the PS2 software chart.

Spinal Tap winds up the nutters

From The Sun

BBC bosses are ditching a Christmas TV trailer after church leaders complained its music was pro-Satanic

The BBC is using Christmas With The Devil a spoof track by mock rockers Spinal Tap, in a 30-second clip focusing on villains and baddies in its festive dramas.

But Canon Peter Howell-Jones, of Birmingham Cathedral, said: It’s in very bad taste. I’ve enough to do without having to defend God from things like this.

Retired Rev Betty Stephenson added: It’s disgusting, diabolical. She said the Devil always works quietly in the background and mentioning him demeaned the true meaning of Christmas.

The BBC said it chose the song in honour of baddies including the Sheriff of Nottingham and the Evil Santas in Doctor Who. A spokesman said: It’s meant to be fun.

China leads the world in imprisoning journalists

Maybe the figures would look a little different though if taken as a percentage of population

From Casper Star Tribune

China, which jails more journalists than any other nation, is challenging the view that information on the Internet is impossible to control, and the implications for press freedom could be far-reaching.

At least 31 journalists are behind bars in China, making it the world's leading jailer of reporters for the eighth year in a row, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in its annual survey.

Three out of four of the journalists were convicted under vague charges of subversion or revealing state secrets, and more than half were Internet journalists. Blogs are often shut down, and those who post articles promoting Western-style democracy and freedom are routinely detained and jailed under subversion charges.

Shi Tao, a former journalist for the Dangdai Shangbao or Contemporary Business Newspaper in the central province of Hunan, was sentenced last year to 10 years on charges of leaking state secrets. Shi was alleged to have e-mailed the contents of a secret official memo about media restrictions to the Democracy Forum Web site. Journalism activists criticized Yahoo Inc. after it emerged that the company had given prosecutors e-mail from Shi's account.

Li Yuanlong, a reporter for the Bijie Daily newspaper in the southern city of Bijie, was convicted in July of inciting subversion and sentenced to two years in prison after he posted essays on foreign Web sites.

Last week, a Beijing court took five minutes to reject an appeal, made by New York Times researcher Zhao Yan, against his three-year prison sentence. Zhao had been convicted of fraud, but press advocacy groups saw his case as a political vendetta for his pre-Times career as a crusading investigative reporter _ and as a warning to Chinese reporters.

The survey found the total number of journalists jailed worldwide had risen to 134 as of Dec. 1, nine more than a year earlier.

Cuba was the second biggest jailer of journalists, with 24 reporters in prison. Nearly all had filed their reports to overseas-based Web sites. Eritrea, which has imprisoned 23 journalists, was third.

Contending that the censors haven't followed the law

From IBN News

Adult retailer AdultShop.com has now vowed to appeal to the Federal Court after its attempt to legalise the sale or hire of pornographic videos in WA was scuppered by the Office of Film and Literature Classification.

AdultShop.com chief Malcolm Day said he was disappointed at the decision and would appeal to the Federal Court. He said he had provided considerable evidence to the OFLC about changing community standards: Today the majority of Australian adults aren't offended by these types of films. But I suppose when you go to the Federal Court at least you have a judge who looks at the law and takes that into account instead of the situation you get with a board like the OFLC.

Under Siege shown uncut on TV

Given that Under Siege 2 was shown on Bravo uncut in October it may be that perhaps someone can now release an uncut box set.

Thanks to  Chris

E4 showed an uncut version of Under Siege with Steven Segal this week (04/12/06) All of the cuts stated on your site were included. Does this mean we can see an uncut version on DVD soon?

South Africa Sets Deadline for Websites to Remove Adult Content

From X Biz

The Film and Publications Board (FPB), which regulates the dissemination of media throughout South Africa, has said it will no longer allow website operators to distribute adult content online.

Internet distributors of adult material have until Dec. 31 to discontinue the distribution of adult material on the Internet, a spokesman for the FPB said. Distribution of adult material on the Internet is in contravention with Section 24 of the Films and Publications Act.

According to the FPB, which has administered the Act for some time, the decision to target online distribution of adult content comes in the wake of widespread public outcry.

In view of a number of complaints from the public regarding the distribution and exhibition of materials containing depictions, descriptions or sequences of sexual conduct via the Internet, by mail-order and through mobile cellular phones, the Board advises the South African Police Services to investigate and charge any person using above-mentioned media for distribution of films, interactive computer games or publications, which have either not been classified by the Board or classified ‘XX’ or ‘X18’, the spokesman said.

South Africa allows brick-and-mortar retailers wishing to distribute adult content to do so while still complying with the law, if they meet certain regulatory requirements such as limiting adult material to a clearly marked section of the store and posting notices denying entry to minors.

A group called Adultlinks.co.za has organized an effort to determine how webmasters can avoid punishment and comply with the act: We have been in contact with FPB to establish how an adult site can comply with the act — and thus pay the prescribed fees and get a classification for a website,” a spokesman for Adultlinks said. Reading between the lines we have learned that the FPB is not geared to apply a classification to a website.

All in all, the current situation reeks of old apartheid censorship, where government decides what you may or may not see, the Adultlinks spokesman said. I for one am not going to take this lying down.

Uganda bans adult content from public places

From AllAfrica

The Media Council of Uganda has banned the sale of newspapers with pornographic content from public places.

It ordered that such newspapers be sold only from exclusive stores and not to persons under 18. It said the order was intended to regulate the conduct and promote ethical standards and discipline of journalists, editors and publisher in accordance to the Press and Journalists Act of 1995.

The councildefined pornography as any information or publication or graphic or picture or photograph or literature which depicts an unclothed or underclothed sexually arousing parts of the human body or depicts and describes or narrates sexual intercourse or any behaviour, related to sexual stimulation or describes activities in a manner tending to stimulate erotic feelings.

John "Concentration Camp" Beyer

Petitions for 3 years in jail for all porn viewers

Thanks to Alan

John Beyer has also got in on the act and started a petition:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to steadfastly proceed with plans announced in the Queen's Speech to make possession of extreme pornography illegal and to include a much wider range of pornographic imagery, such as R18 material, within the scope of the Criminal Justice Bill.

Further Details:

In 1972 the late Lord Denning, former Master of the Rolls, said that the law against pornography had misfired: He said: Much that is obscene has escaped the reach of the law. The pornography industry has exploited to the full a law that is inherently flawed and has failed to fulfil the intention of Parliament in the 1959 Act to strengthen the criminal law. It has had the opposite effect.

Submitted by John C Beyer of mediawatch-uk

Australia urged to create some

From The Age

The Federal Government is being urged to make laws that allow the removal of hate material and racial vilification from Australian-based websites.

The B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), a Jewish human rights body, wants the change after failing to have limits placed on the website www.missionislam.com through appeals to politicians and use of existing legal channels.

The site, run by the Muslim Information Service in Sydney, is an extensive resource and link system aimed at influencing young Muslims, and points them to extreme views and well-known anti-Semitic material.

The ADC have been frustrated by ACMA's inability to deal with the issue, due to strict guidelines which extended only to dealing with violence and pornography, not hate or other offensive material.

Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan said the Government could act only if the material breached the law.

From Gamasutra

In the blame aftermath of a recent school shooting in Germany, the regional governments of Bavaria and Lower Saxony have proposed new legislation that could punish those who make, distribute, or even play video games featuring cruel violence on humans or human-looking characters with a fine and up to a year in prison. The newly drafted bill is scheduled to go before the upper house of parliament next year.

The 18-year old shooter was reportedly an avid player of the popular first-person shooter Counter Strike, attacked the Scholl secondary school on November 20 in the western German town of Emsdetten, and wounded as many as 37 people before killing himself.

Frank Sliwka, the head of the Deutsche E-Sport Bund, a German online gaming organization, commented: We have among the most drastic censorship rules for games. Now we are being labeled as a breeding ground for unstable, dysfunctional and violent youngsters.

An MSNBC report also highlights the fact that Sony could also find itself on the receiving end of this new legislation, should it pass, with its PlayStation 3 console set to debut in the region in March 2007. Activision's Call of Duty 3 and Sony's Insomniac developed Resistance: Fall of Man continue to be the biggest selling titles for the platform, and both would be subject to the law's stringent violent game penalty.

Germany has one of the strictest controls on video games content, with a long history of banning or forcing alterations in games. Previously titles banned in their original form in Germany include Doom 1 and 2, as well as Manhunt and Command & Conquer. More recently, the Xbox 360 releases Dead Rising and Gears of War were both denied an age rating in Germany as well, thus making it possible for the games to be deemed illegal to sell by the German government.

More cartoon victims

From the BBC

A Yemeni court has ordered the editor of an English weekly newspaper to pay a fine for reprinting the Danish cartoons depicting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

The verdict is the second in its kind in less than two weeks but is more lenient than the previous one.

The court said Mohammed al-Asaadi, the editor of the Yemen Observer, should be held in custody until he pays the fine of $2,500.

Al-Asaadi's chief lawyer, Mohammed Naji Allaw, told reporters he would appeal and that that the verdict was illogical, illegal and against the Islamic Sharia.

Apoplectic hype for apocalyptic game

Based on an article from the The Times

A video game that depicts a crusade of violence by Christians could be heading for the bestseller charts this Christmas, even though it has been condemned by Muslims and secularists.

The game, Left Behind: Eternal Forces, is set in post-apocalyptic New York and features God’s army battling the Antichrist. Based on Left Behind, the bestselling Christian fantasy book series created by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, it puts players in command of brainwashed legions fighting for Christianity.

Players are ordered to convert or kill to advance to the next level and remodel America as a Christian-controlled state, and establish its world vision of Christ’s dominion. They pit battles between the paramilitary Christian Tribulation Force and the grey, faceless, Global Community Peacekeepers of the Antichrist, said to be modelled on the United Nations. The fantasy is based on what might happen if the events of the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, happened today.

The game was sold originally in the US. British outlets are releasing the game for the Christmas market. The Left Behind books have sold more than 63 million copies.

Muslim groups have denounced the game as portraying Islam as evil and accuse its creators of insulting their faith. The Muslim Association of Britain called for the game to be banned, describing it as evil: This game is irresponsible and highly racist. It demonises every other religion which isn’t Christianity. People must boycott this violent game.

Terry Sanderson, the president of the National Secular Society, said: Fundamentalists on both the Christian and the Muslim side are creating this kind of nasty, extreme propaganda and aiming it at young people. I’m not into banning things or censoring them, but I think most Muslims and most Christians would recognise that this is crude and despicable hate-mongering and give it a wide berth.

Italian pressure to make PEGI ratings legally binding on retailers

Based on an article from Euro Politics

UK interior minister John Reid will add Britain’s weight behind an EU crusade against violent computer games at meeting of Europe’s justice ministers this week. The British home secretary will also urge the EU to do more to protect children from “appropriate content”, child pornography and paedophiles.

John Reid showed a little perspective about  games though and said: There is a wider issue here. The growth of the internet has meant we need to be alert on threats and dangers online. Violent video games are one issue on this spectrum. But I am also concerned about what more we can do to tackle the most extreme and harmful end of the spectrum. In particular I am concerned about child pornography.

Brussels has led demands for parental advisory warnings and age restrictions on the sale of “obscene and perverse” video and computer games. Reid will back the campaign and call on other EU countries to follow British and Dutch legislation forbidding the sale of adult-rated games to minors. While industry operates a self-regulation ratings system for video and computer games retailers in most EU countries are not legally obliged to restrict sale of adult classified products.

Unione Nazionale Consumatori, a consumers association that takes a liberal view of censorship, said it was not sufficient to make it illegal to sell adult games to children. Parents and society have to educate children about the adult world, said Elana Venditti, who represented the association at the meeting. Minors are likely to get access to adult material through other medium anyway, she said, so prepare them properly for the adult world.

European justice commissioner Franco Frattini will back Reid’s call, indicate officials, after he wrote raising the issue to Europe’s capitals two weeks ago. We are not calling for censorship but the sales of cigarettes and alcohol is prohibited to minor why not violent games, said a commission official.

Frattini has been particularly distressed by a Sony Playstation game, Rule of Rose, which with undue exaggeration, “shocked… profoundly for its obscene cruelty and brutality”. The computer game’s detractors claim involves inflicting psychological and physical violence on a young girl has hit the headlines in Frattini’s native Italy and in France.

But Frattini has faced opposition within the Brussels EU executive from his colleague Viviane Reding, Europe’s media commissioner. Reding is reminding Frattini of the PEGI ratings system, run by industry across the EU since 2003, that looks for “informed adult choice”: This is in line with the commission’s view that measures taken to protect minors and human dignity must be carefully balanced with the fundamental right to freedom of expression.
 

Rule of Rose will be available to UK players

Thanks to Byron

Rule of Rose will be released in other parts of Europe with a English option and will work on UK PS2's. This helps as the PS2 is a bugger to import for as it has no easy method for playing import games.

UK release of film about Italian censorship

Thanks to Alan

Sabina Guzzanti's documentary Viva Zapatero! is now on sale in the UK, partly in English and with the Italian stuff subtitled. It's a remarkable indictment of the way in which Berlusconi tried to shut her up, largely with the compliance of RAI bigwigs and the Italian press. There's a guest appearance of Rory Bremner (as himself and as Tony Blair). Sabina Guzzanti herself is marvellous, especially when she appears as Berlusconi, a masterpiece of make-up since she's actually a rather attractive woman in her early forties.

From Wikepedia

The TV broadcasting of the satirical program RAIot was censored in November 2003 after the comedienne, Sabina Guzzanti, made outspoken criticism of the Berlusconi media empire. Mediaset, one of Berlusconi's companies, sued the Italian state broadcasting company RAI because of the Guzzanti show asking for 20 million Euro for "damages" and from November 2003 she was forced to appear only in theatres around Italy.

After the show was cancelled, Guzzanti tried fruitlessly to get it reinstated, in spite of the fact that a judge dismissed the case that initially resulted in the termination of the show. Her struggle however, did result in the film, Viva Zapatero! . The documentary openly reveals censorship laws that Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is presently imposing on the country's freedom of speech. Viva Zapatero!  is seen by some as Italy's Fahrenheit 9/11.

In August, 2005, it was the sleeper hit of the Venice International Film Festival, receiving a 15-minute standing ovation after its premiere screening. When it opened in Italian theaters, over 200,000 people went to see it in the first week, probably a record. Its success resulted in an invitation to the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Malaysian bloggers may have to be registered

From International Herald Tribune

All Malaysian news blogs may have to be registered with the Ministry of Information, local media reported, citing Deputy Science and Technology Minister Kong Cho Ha as saying the laws were necessary to dissuade bloggers from promoting disorder in Malaysia's multiethnic society.

But an international media watchdog warns that any crackdown on news blogs would stifle criticism of the government.

Regulating the Internet could push Malaysian bloggers daring to criticize the government to stop publishing or self-censor to avoid possible legal action, the Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.

Local news media outlets are strictly controlled by the government, and criticism of government policies are rare. A number of mainstream media organizations are owned by parties within the ruling National Front coalition, or via their proxies.

Malaysian bloggers currently enjoy an outspokenness denied to journalists in the traditional media, the Reporters Without Borders statement said. It is vital for the country's democratic life that the Internet is not pushed into self-censorship.

Indonesia wrestle with inanity

From Monsters & Critics

SmackDown, a popular U.S. professional wrestling television show, should be taken off air in Indonesia, a cabinet minister says after speculation a boy may have been killed by children mimicking the fight moves.

SmackDown is produced by U.S.-based World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., whose shows are seen widely around the globe.

Some parents and leading educators had already called for a ban. However, Lativi has declined to stop running the show, instead pushing the airtime from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. when presumably fewer children are awake to watch.

Indonesia's broadcasting commission has not decided yet whether to stop the show from airing.
Since the boy died, Indonesian media have hunted for other stories of injuries to students in fighting games that might be linked to the show.

Satire offends Burma's censors

From Irrawaddy

Burmese authorities have banned a VCD depicting a traditional anyein performance on the grounds that some of the content is critical of the military government.

Anyein is a form of traditional entertainment that combines music, dance, opera and satirical comedy.

The VCD, titled say yaung sone, or The Colorful, by the Burmese director known simply as Godzilla, has been officially banned. Its script had at first made it past Burma’s draconian Press Scrutiny Review Board, but the subsequent release of the VCD led authorities to ban it, according to an actor who asked to remain anonymous. The actor said that authorities found some of the material on the disc was intentionally satirical towards the government.

A source familiar with the film industry in Burma said that performances on the disc made reference to electricity shortages in the country, problems with public health assistance, Burma’s national football team and the news readers on Burma’s state-run MRTV network.

Iran has a purge on websites

From The Guardian

Iran yesterday shut down access to some of the world's most popular websites. Users were unable to open popular sites including Amazon.com and YouTube following instructions to service providers to filter them.

Similar edicts have been issued against Wikipedia, the internet encyclopaedia, IMDB.com, an online film database, and the New York Times site. Attempts to open the sites are met with a page reading: "The requested page is forbidden."

The clampdown was ordered by senior judiciary officials in the latest phase of a campaign that has seen high-speed broadband facilities banned in an attempt to impede "corrupting" foreign films and music. It is in line with a campaign by Iran's Islamist president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to purge the country of western cultural influences.

Critics accuse Iran of using filtering technology to censor more sites than any country apart from China. Until now, targets have been mainly linked to opposition groups or those deemed "immoral" under Iran's Islamic legal code. Some news sites, such as the BBC's Farsi service, are also blocked.

Last week Mohammed Tourang, head of the information bureau's cultural committee, warned Iranian websites of stricter rules by announcing steps to stamp out "immoral and illegal" content. He said site owners would be given official reminders to eliminate forbidden material. Special attention would be paid to content judged to be a threat to national unity or insulting to sacred religious texts and symbols. Students and academics say the move limits their ability to conduct research.

Bollywood movie prosecuted over kiss

From Tonight

A kissing scene from a movie starring Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai and Hrithik Roshan has irked a lawyer who has filed a criminal case against them, accusing them of obscenity.

Shailendra Dwivedi of Indore, the capital of central Madhya Pradesh state, said the scene from the movie, titled Dhoom 2, lowered the dignity of Indian women and gave an obscene message to youth.: Bollywood actors are conveying vulgarity in the society, These films cannot be watched with our families, they are so vulgar at times.

A local court accepted Dwivedi's petition to punish the actors and said it would hear the petitioner on December 11.

The Indian censor board, which certifies all films, released the movie with a "parental discretion" certificate.

First Ever Australian Film Banned in Australia

From the director, Tom McEvoy

I've just found out that my first Feature Film has been banned outright in Australia and frankly I'm really not impressed. It's a teen film that I wrote when I was 20yrs old and it's taken me 4 years to finally get it to a point where I thought it wouldn't be banned, after several nervous inquiries but politics has chosen to rule against me.

In desperation I hoped for for an "X" rating but it didn't even get one of those as some of the material was deemed beyond his categorisation to my shock. It's not a pornographic film, but looks into the effects of porn culture in teen society and I try to use pornography against itself to highlight how grotesque underage sexuality can be at times. Think of the Antichrist to an American teen film.

So far my film titled Welcome to Greensborough has been compared to Ken Park, another film that was banned and I'm really upset as I feel my film has a really important message to youth about sexuality. Most of the cast and crew were still teenagers when the film was made and from what I know, there's not a film like it made in Australia before.

Malaysian Government to issue additional TV censorship rules

Based on an article from The Star

Content on Malaysain TV stations will soon be subjected to an additional set of guidelines, which is now being drafted.

Energy, Water and Communications Deputy Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said the move was aimed at promoting Malaysian cultural identity and values and moderating the behaviour of entertainers during shows.

Shaziman added that the new guidelines, drafting of which was expected to be completed by the end of the year, would also incorporate the content guidelines already formulated by his ministry as well as the Culture, Arts and Heritage, Home and Information ministries.

Shaziman added that television programmes should not just provide entertainment, but must also promote family and religious values as well as national racial integration: For example, the new guidelines contains the guidelines of the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry guidelines on the need to promote local arts and cultures and proper dress sense.

He also stated that the new guidelines would also outline the percentage of foreign and local programmes that television stations could show.

Annual Report published

From www.oflc.gov.au

The OFLC have released their Annual Report for the year 2005-6. It is available on their website in pdf format.

AdultShop.com disappoints

From The West

AdultShop.com is set to shut its flagging phone-sex operations as it tries to build its movies and magazines business, which the company claims is being squeezed between Federal regulation and a proliferation of pirate pedlars.

Chairman Kim Heitman told shareholders at AdultShop.com's annual meeting in Perth yesterday that the phone-sex business had been declining for several years and the company could not stay in an unprofitable business forever.

Earlier, the Perth-based group's management and long-standing chief executive, Malcolm Day, came under fire from two peeved shareholders about the poor financial and sharemarket performance. Shares in the group, which posted a $384,000 loss in the 2005-06 financial year.

Heitman said AdultShop.com's businesses, which confined themselves to legal and properly classified adult material, had been hurt by harsh censorship regulation as well as pirate operators and importers selling movies in breach of copyright and movie classification laws.

He was hopeful that a legal challenge by AdultShop.com to the way the Office of Film and Literature Classification was implementing Australia's censorship laws and looming changes to the Copyright Act would help boost his group's distribution operations, which held the copyright to about 80% of legally classified porn in Australia.

Problems with Kadhal arangam at the censors

Based on an article from BehindWoods

Velu Prabakaran is an outspoken director whose films like Kadavul and Puratchikkaran underlined the degradation in social values in the names of religion. He is an avowed atheist who claims that he wishes to bring social awareness through his films.

His next offering is Kadhal arangam. The film discusses sex education and attempts to create a good attitude towards sex. However the skimpily clad actresses have raised doubts with the censors.

The composer, Ilayaraja who has worked for the film had suggested some cuts after he found some scenes quite objectionable.

Director Velu Prabhakaran is waging a battle with the Censor Board after the board members predicatble objected to some scenes in the film. Velu Prabhakaran said, The so called objectionable scenes are important in the movie since they deal with the need for sex education in schools. I will fight with Censor Board and appeal to the Tribunal Committee to ensure that no scenes are chopped from my film.

Graham Coutts to be retried for the murder of Jane Longhurst

No doubt the Government will be interested in the dates so as to find the best time for them to legislate without prejudicing the trial

From the BBC

Graham Coutts has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to the murder of Brighton teacher Jane Longhurst.

Graham Coutts denied strangling her when he appeared at the Old Bailey in London via a video-link.

He is due before a court again on 26 January, with a trial set for 4 June.

Temporarily relaxing censorship for the Olympics

From International Herald Tribune

China is temporarily relaxing decades-old restrictions on foreign reporters that will give foreign media greater freedom to travel and report in the run up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The regulations, which come into force Jan. 1, temporarily abolish onerous requirements that currently prohibit foreign reporters from traveling or conducting interviews, even with ordinary Chinese, without government approval. Under the new rules, only the consent of the interview subject is needed.

The new rules mark a surprising step forward in addressing a major concern for the Olympic movement and international media: how China, with its penchant for heavy-handed policing and censorship, would deal with the 20,000 foreign media staff expected in Beijing for the Games.
Today in Sports

Significant questions remain about China's reporting environment. China is the world's largest jailer of journalists, with 32 in prison as of Jan. 1. Police retain broad powers to halt coverage by reporters. Foreign reporters have been frequently detained for reporting on a range of topics, from AIDS epidemics in the countryside to protests by urban workers. The new Olympic regulations, as well, contain loopholes and expire on Oct. 17, 2008, a month after the Paralympics end.

IOC officials have privately described arduous negotiations over media rules and credentials with Beijing Olympic organizers. At times, IOC officials have read aloud to Beijing organizers the promise they made in their bidding book for the Games: There will be no restrictions on journalists in reporting on the Olympic Games.

Liu, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the government knows that, as with previous Olympics, reporters won't limit their coverage to sports. He broadly interpreted the new rules, which cover reporting on the Games "and related matters", to give foreign media expanded license.

Though officials should no longer question reporters as they travel in China, Liu said that police would still have the authority to intervene, especially during emergencies, protests and other incidents "that suddenly arise.": They will not ask what you are doing there unless there are concerns in terms of public interest and social order, Liu said.

Take issue with beer advert featuring fearful Pom

From The Times

A group of British expatriates living in Australia has launched a legal action to outlaw the use of the word, Pom, in advertising on the basis that Pom is a derogatory term, on a par with “nigger” and “wog”.

British People Against Racial Discrimination (BPARD) has launched the action with Australia’s Advertising Standards Bureau in an attempt to take off air a television beer advertisement that features an Englishman fearful of Australia’s cold beer.

The advertisement claims that the brewer Tooheys’ new Supercold brand is “cold enough to scare a Pom” and features footage of an overweight, pale, balding man in a Union Jack T-shirt cringing in fear at the offer of a cold beer.

BPARD spokesman, David Thomason believes that there is a fashionable wave of derogatory insults against the British and, on the eve of the second Ashes Test, cited the behaviour of Australian cricket fans toward the English: The songs the Aussie supporters sing talk about how we can’t get near your body because of your smell, your body odour, your bad breath, your buck teeth, your whingeing, have you got some soap.

Based on legal precedent, it is unlikely that Pom will be wiped from the Australian public lexicon. The Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has considered twice whether the word is derogatory and ruled it safe on both occasions. In its latest ruling, issued in September, the commission sanctioned the continued use of the word, provided that it was not accompanied by other offensive comments that were racist or unlawful.

ABC, the government-owned national broadcaster, has also reviewed its attitude recently toward the use of the word Pom. Heather Forbes, the chairman of the corporation’s standing committee on spoken English, said yesterday that the committee had decided that the use of the word was acceptable: I think it can be used as a term of endearment, you know, ‘Here come the Poms’.

The long reach of China's censors

Based on an article from Monsters & Critics

Rule of Rose would probably have been a 15 anyway

Thanks to Byron

PEGI (the European games rating people) saw no problem with Rule of Rose and gave it a 16+. I have played the American version and I am pretty sure the BBFC would have given the game a 15 and described it as strong horror.

Cuts to Casino Royale in India

For comparison, Ireland, UK & US have also released versions with the torture scene cut to obtain the required age classification.

• UK - 12A - children below 12 can view if accompanied
• US - PG-13 - any children can view as there is no supervision requirement
• Ireland - 15A - children below 15 can view if accompanied

From MI6

The Indian version of Casino Royale has been cut beyond the torture scene. Two love scenes have been near totally excised. Taken with the 60% reduction in the torture scene, the 2hr 20 min film has been cut down by two minutes.

Sharmila Tagore, chairman of the Indian Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), says: We are a layered society, so what may be taken easily by an urban audience may not go down well with those watching the same film in suburban areas. Films such as James Bond are dubbed in several regional languages, and dubbed versions have a far greater reach in India than their English versions, and that often calls for constant vigilance.

The cuts were not dictated by the censors but volunteered by the distributors, Sony Pictures Releasing India (SPRI), which calculated that a U/A certificate, instead of an A rating, would attract a bigger audience — and hence more money.

Vinayak Azaad, regional officer for the censor board in Mumbai, comments: We are not into moral policing. The cuts were suggested by Columbia Pictures. As a purely adult movie, we had cleared it earlier without any cuts.

Lalit Chetnani, chief finance officer for Sony Pictures, the distributors for Columbia, confirms: We volunteered the cutting of the scenes as we wanted a U/A certificate for the film to open it to a larger audience. The censor board suggested that we reduce the intimate scenes to flashes and the torture scene by 60%. The censor board, satisfied with what we had cut, gave us the U/A certificate.