The crackdown on websites that are "threatening morals by spreading pornography and vulgarity" continues in China, targeting sites like Baidu, Google and Sina.com. TV reports actually showed government officials hauling digital equipment from offices. We're glad we live in the good ole U S of A. Even though our own government may have made us sad for a good, oh, eight years, at least we still have our porn!

Via The Register: Sci/Tech News for the World. (theregister.co.uk)

Hardcore's attorneys told jurors that no one could have purchased or seen the eight hours of fisting, urination, and mock-"underage" footage by mistake, and (according to AVN), several jurors approached the Hardcore team afterward and expressed sympathy, saying the poor wording of the legislation painted them in a corner.

Despite past successful defenses for more extreme material than the likes of "Fists of Fury 4" and "Extreme Max 19," as well as the positive testimony of retired porn star Summer Luv—who told the jury that Hardcore, unlike other porn directors, "cared" and paid on time—the jury was unable to sidestep existing law, which counts as obscene anything that "appeals to prurient interest."

As a precedent, this case bodes ill for Evil Angel and director John Stagliano, who face similar charges for tamer movies. That case is not expected to go to trial until next year.

· "Closing Arguments In Max Trial Reveal Prosecution's True Agenda" and "Max Hardcore Found Guilty in Obscenity Trial" (avn.com)
· Max Hardcore (maxhardcore.com)

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Previously: Porn Valley (Adjacent) Dispatch: Max Hardcore Busted, Max Hardcore Trial Update, Porn Valley Dispatch: Max Hardcore's Process

· "Porn star to kids: Don't watch me" (examiner.com - thanks Patrick)

Why is this happening? Apparently it's related to the murder of a schoolteacher five years ago and the fact that her killer had been "compulsively accessing websites ... which contained images of women being abused and violated". It's a tragic story, but hardly conclusive proof that certain kinds of porn automatically turn everyone into murderous psychopaths.

Unfortunately, the UK doesn't have a First Amendment to counter legislation like this. So what will happen to ordinary non-psychopathic folks who enjoy consensual extreme BDSM porn—or even necro fantasies—and who could now be considered criminals despite the fact that they're not hurting anyone? "Hard luck," says the murder victim's mother who spearheaded the legislation, adding that she "can't see why people need to see it" in the first place. You might not understand why some people are into certain kind of porn either, but realize it's a slippery slope: today's extreme porn may be tomorrow's dirtpipe milkshake (or today's anal squirting, for that matter) ... and then where would we all be?

· "When does kinky porn become illegal?" (bbc.co.uk)
·Thumbnail via hogtied.com

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Previously: Belladonna's "Fetish Fanatic 5": Defend Your Right To Anal Squirting!