Despite legislation protecting free expression, an Egyptian satirist and Tunisian rapper find themselves caught in a wave of rising post-Arab Spring censorship. Political cartoons have been an ongoing target, and now Bassem Youssef and Weld El 15 have both been…
Category: Legal
Obscenity Case Files: “I know it when I see it”
In the last edition of the Obscenity Case Files series, we discussed the Pope v. Illinois decision and how it impacted the Miller Test for identifying obscene material, which is not protected by the First Amendment. In this edition, we’ll take…
CBLDF Raises New Defense of Persepolis
Chicago Public Schools may think their letter regarding the attempted ban of Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis provides an adequate defense for their actions, but today’s letter from the Kids Right to Read Project unquestionably eviscerates CPS’s argument. CBLDF is a sponsor…
ComiXology Chief: “Apple Didn’t Ban Saga #12.” Comic Available on iOS
After a day of controversy about Saga #12 being banned in the Apple iOS environment, word comes from comiXology CEO David Steinberger that the issue is now available and that Apple did not in fact ban the comic, but that…
Apple Goes on Censorship Spree
Once again, European attitudes towards nudity and sex have clashed with an American business behemoth. Last time, it was Facebook and Paris’ Jeu de Paume museum; this time, it’s Apple and a French distributor of e-comics. Izneo is a digital…
Why SAGA #12 Is Protected By the First Amendment
Earlier this week controversy spread over the temporary ban of Saga #12 on comiXology’s iOS app because of two small depictions of gay sexual content within the context of a larger sequence of images. The images in question appear on…
Apple Bans SAGA #12 Because of Gay Sexual Content
Earlier today word spread that Apple is refusing to offer the most recent issue of SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples within iOS Apps. Vaughan issued the following statement regarding the ban: As has hopefully been clear from…
TONIGHT: The Trial of Zap Comix Presentation in NYC
Tonight in NYC, see Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund present “The Trial of Zap Comix: Comics, Counterculture & Obscenity in NYC” at the NY Comics & Picture Story Symposium. This presentation explores People v. Kirkpatrick a…
Defending Manga: The Ryan Matheson Story
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is proud to release Defending Manga: The Ryan Matheson Story, a short documentary video recounting the young American citzen’s fight for justice after being wrongfully accused of criminal activity because of fantasy and humor…
Obscenity Case Files: Pope v. Illinois
Miller v. California set the standard for identifying obscene material that is not protected by the First Amendment. However, some portions of the standards set by Miller are clearer than others. In this edition of the Obscenity Case Files, we’ll…