Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Pakistani Twitter Ban After Cartoon Contest Raises Concerns Over Country’s Commitment to Free Speech

by Mark Bousquet • May 31, 2012

by Mark Bousquet

A recent ban on Twitter by the Pakistani government highlights the growing conflict between conservative governments and dissatisfied citizens over the use of, and access to, social networking sites. On May 20, Pakistan blocked access to Twitter for part of the day, holding the social networking site responsible for an allegedly blasphemous cartoon contest being run on Facebook. Critics argue that Twitter has given a voice to those who oppose the government’s security practices, and that actions like the May 20 ban give credence to the idea that Pakistan is not interested in having a truly free media.

Features, Homepage, Legal, News Blog

Florence v. Shurtleff – The What’s and Why’s in Plain Language

by Christopher Schiller • May 31, 2012

Earlier this month, a ruling was handed down in Florence v. Shurtleff, a long-disputed internet censorship law that sought to require Utah’s Attorney General to create a blacklist of websites containing “harmful-to-minors” materials, required ISPs to rate content, and included criminal penalties for violations. CBLDF was among the plaintiff group that challenged the law, which resolved last week after seven years of legal action. Christopher Schiller provides a short overview of the case, including what was at stake for the State and for free expression.

Homepage, Legal, News Blog

Comics, Courts & Controversy: A Case Study of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

by cbldf • May 30, 2012

Marc H. Greenberg, a professor at Golden Gate University’s School of Law has published an extensive case study of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and its important work in the Loyola Entertainment Law Review. On the occasion of its publication, Professor Greenberg has prepared remarks about the article and the organization it supports exclusively for CBLDF.org. Read on for Greenberg’s remarks and the full case study.

Features, Homepage, Legal, News Blog

Access Denied: Library Filter Fail

by Justin Brown • May 30, 2012

While researching a story about role-playing-game censorship for CBLDF.org at his local library, CBLDF blog volunteer Justin Brown encountered the cold slap of censorship himself as the result of aggressive filtering software. Brown discusses his experience, and the heritage of filtering laws that requires libraries like his to deny access to content or risk losing public funding after the jump.

Fundraising, Homepage, News Blog

New Neil Gaiman & David Mack Print Debuts!

by cbldf • May 25, 2012

The CBLDF is proud to offer our supporters an exciting new premium by Neil Gaiman & David Mack! This beautiful, exclusive print was contributed by our friends at Neverwear. Silk-screened in Austin, Texas these are the variant blue test run, created in very limited quantities prior to the standard edition grey run.

Printed on a gorgeous French paper called Madero Beach, a 70 weight 8.5 ” x 11″ recycled stock, the prints are full of flecks and bits. Creamy off-white, with 3 colors to show off David Mack’s luscious artwork and lettering.

They are hand-numbered, in an extremely limited artist/printer edition of 90. They are not available anywhere else!

Get yours today!

Homepage, News Blog

Censorship, Consequences and the Creative Process

by Christopher Schiller • May 25, 2012

by Christopher Schiller

Throughout the history of comics there are many brave examples of artists tackling controversial subject matter, which has been fodder for many stellar, ground breaking works. Often the tension of controversy is required to have a conversation of great substance with the audience. But there are those who attempt and often succeed in restricting these conversations through censorship, often with dire consequences. The novelist Salman Rushdie, no neophyte in the arena of censorship battles, has recently commented on the impact of censorship on both the works and their creators, pointing out that there is more lasting resonance in the consequences of the prior restraint of creative endeavors than is immediately apparent.

Click through for a discussion of Rushdie’s commentary on censorship and the chilling effect of censorship on the creative process.