Cities study need for adult entertainment laws

July 20, 2008
By DEB NICKLAY,
deb.nicklay@globegazette.com

MASON CITY — Several North Iowa cities have moved to regulate sexually oriented businesses over the past year — most for no reason other than “to be prepared,” said Alan Kemp, executive director of the Iowa League of Cities.

“Many cities have realized that by the time they have a business that wants to open, it’s almost too late” to place regulatory safeguards, said Kemp.

Kemp said he has not seen any appreciable increase in adult entertainment businesses in the state — from strip clubs to adult bookstores. Cities, he added, are cautious when it comes to such establishments.

“If there is a particular situation in one community, or even the rumor of a business coming, that might trigger a city looking at creating an ordinance,” he said.

The Hampton and Garner City Councils have moved to adopt ordinances in recent months; Clear Lake adopted its ordinance less than a year ago, said City Administrator Scott Flory.

Clear Lake officials have already seen their new law tested. In June, a bar owner opted to have a wet T-shirt contest. City officials said it was in violation of its ordinance and that Alan Slater, owner of The Marina, was operating without a license, required by the ordinance....read more

Judge Strikes Down L.A. Ordinance in Landmark Adult Retail Case

Judge Strikes Down L.A. Ordinance in Landmark Adult Retail Case

Trial court sides with Alameda Books on 1st Amendment

By: Mark Kernes

Posted: 07/18/2008

LOS ANGELES - It's been just over six years since the U.S. Supreme Court decided City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, the ground-breaking case that established an adult retailer's right to challenge alleged adverse secondary effects evidence in court. But the opinion in that case included a remand to the trial court to reconsider its previous summary judgment in light of the high court's ruling, and now, it has.

"What the judge said, as I read it," said First Amendment attorney Clyde DeWitt, for plaintiffs Alameda Books and Beverly Books, "is, remember that this was a motion for summary judgment, except now, the Supreme Court has said that for the ordinance to stand requires evidence; it's not just on the face of the ordinance and the studies underlying the ordinance when they first passed it."...read more

New Contraceptives in the United States 2008 Report

Last update: 11:00 a.m. EDT July 18, 2008

DUBLIN, Ireland, Jul 18, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Research and Markets ( http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2ba8b2contraceptives_in) has announced the addition of the "Contraceptives in the United States 2008" report to their offering.

About this report

The U.S. market for OTC contraceptives is in great demand, thanks to growing populations of young consumers who are the most likely to use contraceptives, but also due to an increased emphasis on pleasure, with personal lubrication and sexual enhancement products showing rapid growth. Mintel explores the current climate in the U.S. with in-depth analysis of the following:

-- How manufacturer emphasis on sensitivity and pleasure has fueled sales, and how merchandising of sexual aids in mainstream drug chains has helped fuel sales of condoms

-- The competitive context provided by advertising for oral prescription contraceptives and the use of OTC Plan B

-- How ambivalence toward pregnancy and decreased fear of STDs are negatively impacting sales

-- The dominance of drug stores in the market

-- Analysis of branding and advertisement from leading suppliers, including conventional outlets, promotions, and online positioning

-- Which condom lines are gaining and which are failing

-- Condom usage in the GBLT community and opportunities for advancing sales in this high-use demographic

-- New product development

There are 91 countries covered in this report.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2ba8b2/contraceptives_in

AT ODDS WITH COUNTY: Adult club fights for its license

By David Kihara
ReviewJournal.com

It's not hard to see why the Libertine club in Las Vegas has been raising some eyebrows since it opened in February. It's an adult club that boasts, among other things, a bondage studio, various fetish nights and a boutique that sells toys hard to describe in detail in a mainstream newspaper.

The club's owner, Edward Hurt, said the club attracts hundreds of people who are interested in "alternative lifestyles." Hurt said he offers customers a safe haven where they can freely express their sexuality....read more

New Sex Toy Review Blog Launches

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Medium

July 6, 2008
The New YorkTimes
By VIRGINIA HEFFERNAN

In 1996, as Hollywood was lionizing the pornographer Larry Flynt as the author of the real sexual revolution, the Internet was trying to decide what to do about porn.

It was not an either-or question. After all, data could instantly be conveyed at low cost across vast distances, from traceless studios to private lairs. Pornography was bound to ride this network. Observers accepted it as axiomatic: technology and pornography — from the printing press, to photography, magazines, film and videotape — always evolve in tandem. “Sometimes the erotic has been a force driving technological innovation,” John Tierney wrote in The Times in 1994. “Virtually always, from Stone Age sculpture to computer bulletin boards, it has been one of the first uses for a new medium.”...read more

Obscenity trial?

Lawrence G. Walters
July 7, 2008

American attorney Lawrence G. Walters explains his revolutionary tactic of using Google Trends to protect a porn site owner from obscenity charges

Since June 2006, prosecutors in and around the southern hamlet town of Milton, Florida, have vigorously pursued obscenity-based criminal racketeering and money laundering charges against Clinton McCowen, based on his ownership and operation of an adult website.
The State of Florida, like many other American states (and the federal government) authorises the use of racketeering or “RICO” laws against businesses profiting from the distribution of allegedly obscene materials....read more

July brings bumper crop of new laws

By PoliticsInColor News Staff
Mon, 07/07/2008
By Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer

As of July 1, Colorado gamblers who are deadbeat parents will see their winnings diverted to pay unpaid child support, drivers in California and Washington state can no longer use hand-held cell phones in transit and people who attend animal fights in Virginia risk felony charges.
This is a sampling of the hundreds of new laws that take effect July 1, the beginning of the fiscal year for 46 states. Among the more widespread issues targeted in these laws are the behavior of young drivers, illegal immigration, registration of sex offenders and the sale of alcohol.
Two states are introducing first-in-the-nation laws to crack down on deadbeat parents and delinquent taxpayers — if they also happen to be lucky gamblers. Several states already have laws to seize lottery winnings from parents delinquent on their child-support payments, but Colorado is the first to take earnings from slots (if winnings reach at least $1,200) and from racetracks (at least $600)....read more

'Swingtown' recap: Free love? Groovy! Free-thinking women? No way!

By Amanda Hamilton
July 04, 2008

CBS’s new drama "Swingtown" sends us swinging in to the 1970s, where women are free thinkers and there is free love all around.
The series focuses on the lives of three suburban couples. Susan and Bruce Miller (Molly Parker and Jack Davenport) are a typical suburban family who move across town when Bruce lands a new job.
There they meet Trina and Tom Decker (Lana Parrilla and Grant Show), a swinging couple who introduced Susan and Bruce to their lifestyle.
Lastly, are Janet and Roger Thompson (Miriam Shor and Josh Hopkins). The Thompsons are a very close-minded couple. Janet is having a hard time dealing with her best friend’s move and new friends, while Roger can’t believe his best friends are experimenting. ... read more

You Tube - Pro-Porn

These videos are generally pro-porn and are included in order for people to be able to examine both sides of the issues so that they have the full picture and can decide for themselves.

WIA Profile: Diane Duke

WIA Profile: Diane Duke

In conjunction with XBIZ, Women in Adult profiles different professional women within the industry. WIA feels that over the years there have been some amazing female professionals in the adult industry, and it is time to spotlight their career accomplishments, demonstrated dedication and great strides in the community.

Under the same gun

Under the Same Gun

In recent years, adult entertainment and video gaming have exploded into multi-billion dollar business sectors, largely driven by the rapid technological developments that enable both industries. Because of that success and the attention being paid to these two industries as a result, opponents of video games and pornography have been given new cause to fret — and new inspiration to pepper their legislators with letters.

ICANN Relaxes Rules for Top-Level Domain Names

Ruling could spark domain name boom.
Sherri L. Shaulis
AVN

Posted: 06/26/2008PARIS - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers unanimously agreed Thursday to relax restrictions on domain names, as well as agreed to seek public comment on doing away with language barriers in domain names. ...read more

Beijing's first adult shop is 15

The Asian Pacific Post

June 26 2008

Fifty-year-old Wen Jingfeng has been interviewed many times by Chinese and foreign media, but he still feels self-conscious posing for pictures.
However, the Beijinger is completely relaxed talking about his shop: Beijing Adam & Eve Health Centre – the first adult shop in the Chinese mainland, founded in 1993.
Located on East Fuchengmen Road in Beijing’s Xicheng district, the 20-square-metre shop sells contraceptives, pregnancy tests, aphrodisiacs and sex toys.
The adult products are displayed in showcases. Two sales women dressed in white gowns are polite, but leave customers to choose products on their own.
In the 1990s, Wen’s shop was described as "a symbol of China’s opening and reforms." He was considered more of a celebrity than a businessman...read more

Calderon Drops Proposed Calif. Porn Tax from 25% to 8.3%

Calderon Drops Proposed Calif. Porn Tax from 25% to 8.3%

Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-City of Industry) has revised his tax proposal to tax the adult industry in California, dropping the rate from the previous 25 percent to 8.3 percent.

Calderon Reduces Proposed Porn Tax

Amended bill scales back adult entertainment tax to 8.3 percent
By: David Sullivan

AVN

SACRAMENTO - Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-City of Industry) has reduced his proposed California state tax on adult entertainment to 8.3 percent in the latest version of the bill submitted last Thursday.
The bill originally called for a 25 percent tax on adult entertainment, including porn videos, strip clubs and other goods and services. The proposal met with strong opposition from Republicans as well as adult industry lobbyists who denounced the measure as selective taxation...read more

Critical Sexology (UK)

Backlash: Uphold the Human Rights Act

Backlash was created in 2005 by the Libertarian Alliance, the Spanner Trust, the Sexual Freedom Coalition, Feminists against Censorship, Ofwatch and Unfettered to collate evidence for an informed debate on censorship and to fight plans to criminalise ownership of material the Home Office finds abhorrent.

Censorship law

For the first time in the western world, when extreme image clauses come into effect in January 2009 it will be illegal for anyone in England and Wales - but not Scotland - to possess such an image.

The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill received Royal Assent on Thursday 8th May 2008. According to a letter from the Ministry of Justice to backlash, the government will kindly provide further guidance nearer January.

Click here for the Official Backflash site

sex and the law: how does it affect you?

by John Illman and Rachel Newcombe

What is the age of consent? How old do you have to be before you can legally go into a sex shop and buy a vibrator?

When it comes to sex and the law, knowing what you can and can't do, and when, is crucial. With recent trends such as the increased use of the Internet, the rising number of sex shops and changing attitudes towards pornography, the need for a modernized law of sexual behaviour became more pressing. In 2003 the Government updated the Sexual Offences Act to reflect current, rather than Victorian, attitudes to sex. The new Act focuses on aspects previously overlooked by the law and introduces new changes that aim to protect the vulnerable and iron out any gender differences.

This is a guide to many of the major issues and offers an insight into how sex is viewed in the eyes of the law:

age of consent (including advice on teacher-pupil relationships)
medical confidentiality and the under-16s
rape and indecent assault
indecent exposure or 'flashing'
'peeping toms'
illicit sex within the family
pornography
cybersex
sadomasochism
necrophilia
discrimination and the law

Presidential Election 2008