United States obscenity law
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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US courts have ruled that the First Amendment protects "indecent" pornography from regulation, but not "obscene" pornography. People convicted of distributing obscene pornography face long prison terms and asset forfeiture.
In 1996, Congress passed Communications Decency Act, with the aim of restricting Internet pornography. Court rulings have struck down much of the law, however.
A widely publicized case of prosecuting alleged obscenity occurred in 1990, when the Cincinnati Arts Center agreed to hold an art show featuring the work of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. His work included several artistic nude photographs of males and was deemed offensive by some people for this reason. This resulted in the prosecution of the center and its director, who were later acquitted.
In the early 1990s, Mike Diana became the first American artist to be convicted for obscenity for drawing cartoons that were judged legally obscene.
See also
- Attorney General's Commission on Pornography
- List of films condemned by the Legion of Decency
- Catholic Legion of Decency
- Anthony Comstock
- Lady Chatterley's Lover
- Anti-pornography movement
- Earl Kemp
- Mike Diana
- William Hamling (publisher)
- Brandon House
- Parliament News
- Redrup v. New York
