Urgent Warning To All Uk Readers And Authors

[snoopercharmbrights]

As some of you will be aware, the UK law on crime and pornography is about to change and I am afraid that has some impact on my present publisher and my own position.

From 26th January it will be an offence if you either live or run a business in the UK to own or disseminate:

1) Material of a pornographic nature that pertains to an act which threatens a person`s life.
2) Material of a pornographic nature that pertains to an act which results, or is likely to result, in serious injury to a person`s anus, breasts or genitals.
3) Material of a pornographic nature that pertains to an act which involves or appears to involve sexual interference with a human corpse.
4) Material of a pornographic nature that pertains to a person performing or appearing to perform an act of intercourse or oral sex with an animal (whether
dead or alive).

The "own" provision above means that ANY story which is construed as breaching this law will mean that you risk a criminal record if it is found in your computer.

The same applies to pictures.

Sad, isn't it. that the most horrific murder and mayhem apparently do not encourage people to imitate them, whereas books including sex apparently turn readers into raving maniacs.

 

[Mz_minx]

Luckily it doesn't really effect me, depending on what is construed as a 'serious injury' on #2, I'm guessing that would be something permanent such as a deep cut or something but I guess that depends on what the people prosecuting would consider 'serious'.

 

[oggbashan]

It affects many long-published books including the histories of the Roman Emperors, Greek Mythology, Robert Graves' I Claudius and Claudius the God, etc.

It is going to be almost impossible to enforce.

Og

PS. It also affects The Bible...

 

[xssve]

The irony alert here is that sex is possibly a therapeutic cure for violence and other undesirable anti-social behaviors - the release of Oxytocin via orgasmic stimulation of the Vagus nerve improves facial recognition memory and instantiate nurturing behaviors - overly aggressive individuals may in fact be experiencing what amounts to Oxytocin withdrawl.

"It is not good for a man to be alone"

--God

 

[Selena_Kitt]

It affects many long-published books including the histories of the Roman Emperors, Greek Mythology, Robert Graves' I Claudius and Claudius the God, etc.

It is going to be almost impossible to enforce.

Og

PS. It also affects The Bible...

It has to be pornographic in nature. Meaning, at least in the U.S., it has no literary value whatsoever (according to the "I know it when I see it" view of porn... )... how does the U.K. define "pornographic?"

 

[oggbashan]

It has to be pornographic in nature. Meaning, at least in the U.S., it has no literary value whatsoever (according to the "I know it when I see it" view of porn... )... how does the U.K. define "pornographic?"

No one knows until the law is tested in court. The last significant trial of a presumed pornographic novel was D H Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover in the 1960s. The publishers won.

Og

 

[rgraham666]

I was perusing an old Giles collection with cartoons on just that subject yesterday, ogg.

 

[Guest]

*rolls her eyes*
I keep wondering... any other bright ideas....

 

[elfin_odalisque]

It affects many long-published books including the histories of the Roman Emperors, Greek Mythology, Robert Graves' I Claudius and Claudius the God, etc.

It is going to be almost impossible to enforce.

Og

PS. It also affects The Bible...

As Og says, an image of a naked man dying on a cross watched by baying crowds is going to become illegal. Or perhaps the legislators didn't understand what they were doing.

 

[oggbashan]

As Og says, an image of a naked man dying on a cross watched by baying crowds is going to become illegal. Or perhaps the legislators didn't understand what they were doing.

They were told often enough but they thought they knew better.

Sound familiar?

Og

 

[Vermilion]

They were told often enough but they thought they knew better.

Sound familiar?

Og

OK. Seriously now - what are the real likely ramifications of this for writers of kinky, but not sadistic (or bestial or necrophiliac) erotica?

 

[neonlyte]

OK. Seriously now - what are the real likely ramifications of this for writers of kinky, but not sadistic (or bestial or necrophiliac) erotica?

Naught... as long as they smile

 

[oggbashan]

OK. Seriously now - what are the real likely ramifications of this for writers of kinky, but not sadistic (or bestial or necrophiliac) erotica?

Very little. It was aimed at the really sick perverted material that would never have been sold openly - snuff movies etc...

Og

Edited for PS. I suppose I'm now banned from repeating jokes about Welsh Farmers, Wellington Boots and Sheep.

 

[WRJames]

The problem with laws like this is that anything posted on the internet can be seen in the UK -- does that mean it is subject to these UK laws? Possibly.

I already operate under more resticitions than I would writing for a US audience because Club Lighthouse Publishing is based in Toronto and Terrie doesn't want to run afoul of Canadian law.

 

[Nirvanadragones]

Well, damn.

 

[3113]

I'm mystified as to why dead animals are included. I mean...doing such things to a live animals is cruelty to animals. And doing them to a human corpse could offend relatives of the deceased, but if Fluffy's beyond caring....

 

[Nirvanadragones]

I'm mystified as to why dead animals are included. I mean...doing such things to a live animals is cruelty to animals. And doing them to a human corpse could offend relatives of the deceased, but if Fluffy's beyond caring....

It's quite horrific to even say out loud, but . . . would that not encourage the really strange people to . . . do something about the fact that the animal is still alive . . . ?

 

[TallDarkandRandom]

To be honest, it won't affect what I read or write. If Fat Gordon thinks he can control what's in my head he can be my guest, but I'll take him and his cronies down first.

I have no problem leading the revolution. Like Che Guevara but with more blood and violence.

Not that I have and real interest in snuff, necro or beastiality. But rule 2 is ambiguous.

 

[3113]

It's quite horrific to even say out loud, but . . . would that not encourage the really strange people to . . . do something about the fact that the animal is still alive . . . ?

I suppose if that were part of the story. We are in a dangerous business here. Giving people all sorts of ideas. Seriously

 

[Mz_minx]

I think #2 is pretty subjective, so it'll be interesting to see if they manage to prosecute anyone for it and what kind of 'serious injury' they'd take them to court for looking at or reading about.

 

[Over_Lord]

It's surprising they didn't also include in the legislation the obvious, foul practice of sex with aliens.

Now there's something likely to corrupt and pervert.

Drat... if only I could keep my mind off those gorgeous Klingon babes...

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I guess it's time for you peeps in the UK to find a reliable proxy server and start storing your writings on US file servers.

Maybe I should buy some used ones and started a little business for my Lit buddies.

 

[Boxlicker101]

It's surprising they didn't also include in the legislation the obvious, foul practice of sex with aliens.

Now there's something likely to corrupt and pervert.

Drat... if only I could keep my mind off those gorgeous Klingon babes...

Would aliens include Zoopians? I suppose it would.

What about mythical animals, such as unicorns or werewolves?

 

[3113]

What about mythical animals, such as unicorns or werewolves?

Unicorns no, as they're something like a horse. Werewolves yes, as they're sometimes human--but only if they're alive and you don't use a choke chain.

 

[driphoney]

Thought Police

As Og says, an image of a naked man dying on a cross watched by baying crowds is going to become illegal. Or perhaps the legislators didn't understand what they were doing.

Makes a valid point, but I think the law was specific to 'pornographic', and at my last checking, He wasn't sodomized, etc. (Though I'm sure that there are many out there who would debate that, or anything else you can dream up!) And it's a very slippery slope.

It does amaze, doesn't it, when there is so much real crime, real pain, real suffering that needs to be tended to? Being the Thought Police is so much easier than actually finding solutions to very hard-to-solve societal issues. Oh, wait, maybe the UK has turned Camelot and you've fixed all that. Sorry, didn't mean to accuse wrongly.

Good luck to y'all over on that side of the ocean!

CRAP!!! I told myself that I ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY was NEVER going to get political or religious here on Lit. Damn. Forgive me. I will now go back to being sweet driphoney. [backing quickly away, very quickly]