Thought these might be of interest:
ASSOCIATION FOR TELEVISION ON DEMAND
Minutes 29 September 2010
Item 4 - Minutes of previous meeting:
"“PJ met with Stuart Purvis (Ofcom) regarding the implications of the guidance the CPS had published for prosecutors which suggested that R18 and equivalent material which is accessible to children on line is likely to be considered obscene under the Obscene Publication Act.
PJ had also attended a round table discussion with enforcement agencies, Ministry of Justice, DMCS, and Ofcom on the same issue."
http://www.atvod.co.uk/uploads/files/Boa...290910.pdf
and
Sexually Explicit Material and Video On Demand Services
A Report to DCMS by Ofcom
4 August 2011
According to this surveys in 2009 and 2005 found some acceptance of strong
er sexual material, but
only with access controls (paras 6.19 to 6.23).
They commissioned Dr Guy Cumberbatch to review existing research in 2010.
It was concluded that while there is no firm evidence that R18 material harms children, it is not possible to perform experiments for ethical reasons, so this cannot be ruled out (para 7.5).
They are somewhat negative about so called R18plus material, the tone is that anything that would be refused a R18 certificate is harmful to adults. (Ofcom might like to consider how S&M material could harm defendants at the "Spanner" trial - they were found not guilty.)
Ofcom surveyed 20 countries to see how they were implementing the “seriously impair” provisions in the AVMS Directive. In a typically shoddy piece of Ofcom reporting, they fail to even name the 20 countries, let alone tabulate their responses or quote them verbatim. Instead we have to take Ofcoms version of what they said as the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and free of distortion.
Apparently "A majority of [14] Member States who responded to Ofcom’s survey do not consider that R18 material is content “which seriously impairs” and therefore is automatically subject to mandatory controls. Nonetheless, a majority also believe such material in on- demand services in their jurisdiction should only be made available if there are appropriate restrictions. A majority of states have adopted various measures – either under existing legislation or by the introduction of new legislation – to ensure this happens." (para 7.10).
Right. So the likes of Holland, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Greece are going to introduce legislation to put all video porn behind mandatory paywalls? Somehow just I dont believe it. Perhaps some narrow technical definitions of television like material will be subject to age verification, but most wont.
"The significant point to emerge from the survey, Ofcom believes, is that the majority of Member States have decided to put additional safeguards in place to ensure that children are protected from R18 material on VOD services. Only a minority of Member States (for example Poland and Hungary) are providing protections for children from sexually explicit material by relying on the current restrictions placed on material that “might seriously impair” the development of minors." (para 7.11)
Ofcom recommends the Government introduce new legislation which would specifically prohibit R18 material from being included in UK-based VOD services unless appropriate mandatory restrictions are in place; and prohibit altogether from UK-based VOD services material whose content the BBFC would refuse to classify ie material stronger than R18. (para 7.21)
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binarie...al-vod.pdf