Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Free speech advocates are concerned over Pakistan’s recent advertisement for companies to install a nation-wide Internet filtering system that could potentially block access to millions of Web domains. These advocates are apprehensive that this move by Pakistan may lead to broad governmental intervention and the censorship of political discourse in the country.

Click through for a summary and excerpts from an Associated Press report on this developing situation.

Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work and reporting on issues such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!

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If you live near the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, you might consider a trip to the special collections department of the Albin O. Kuhn Library and Gallery for “All Lurid, Unsavory, Gruesome Illustrations Shall Be Eliminated: The Comics Code as seen through the UMBC Comics Collection.” The exhibit is open to the public and includes comics and original art from UMBC’s special collections.

More information on the exhibit after the jump.

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In 2005, Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten gained worldwide attention when it published a series of 12 editorial cartoons, several of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Depictions of Muhammad are forbidden by the Islamic faith, and the publication of the cartoons led to protests — many of which became violent — around the world. The Jyllands-Posten offices also became targets, weathering several threats. Most recently, four Swedes have been charged for allegedly planning a shooting attack on the offices. The four men have been charged with terrorism. For more on the story, visit The Washington Post and The New York Times.

Please help support CBLDF’s important First Amendment work and reporting on issues such as this by making a donation or becoming a member of the CBLDF!

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The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression and the National Coalition Against Censorship have written a letter to PayPal and parent company eBay in protest of PayPal’s threat to deactivate the accounts of publishers over certain kinds of erotic content.

Last week, it was revealed that PayPal had sent letters to several publishers threatening deactivation of their accounts if they did not remove content depicting incest, pseudo-incest, rape fantasies, bestiality (including non-human fantasy characters), and BDSM. In response, independent publisher e-books Smashwords notified its authors that they would need to remove the content in question because, in its words, “It is not feasible for us to switch to another provider, should such a suitable provider even exist.”

Read the full text of ABFFE and BCAC’s letter after the jump.

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This week, Melinda Beasi at Manga Bookshelf took some time to examine how Apple handles adult content in their iOS App Store. Beasi opened her article by recalling past concerns over how Apple has handled LGBTQ content, rejecting mild sexual LGBTQ content while allowing similar heterosexual content, seemingly without reservation. Apple has since embraced LGBTQ publishers, but Beasi’s article indicates that LGBTQ material may still be singled out by Apple, affecting manga publishers in particular.

Keep reading…

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Starting February 18, PayPal began contacting independent e-book publishers about new policies regarding erotic content. PayPal told publishers that they cannot sell erotic material that depicts incest, pseudo-incest, rape fantasies, bestiality (including non-human fantasy characters), and BDSM. Selling these materials will result in the deactivation of the publishers’ PayPal accounts. As a result of PayPal’s new policy, many publishers are taking down erotic work.

More after the jump…

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