European Union Proposes Stricter Online Regulations

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Certain government officials are seeking to prevent a European Union dictate that could possibly extend stricter broadcasting regulations to the internet, subsequently hitting popular video-sharing websites such as YouTube.
A recent report said that the European Commission proposal would require websites and mobile phone services that feature video images to conform to standards laid down in Brussels.
Critics fear that the directive would hit not only sites such as YouTube and MySpace but also amateur "video bloggers" who post material on their own sites. In the case of the proposed regulations, personal websites would have to be licensed as a "television-like service."
Viviane Reding, the Media Commissioner, told The Times that the purpose is simply to set minimum standards on areas such as advertising, hate speech and the protection of children.
But Shaun Woodward, the Broadcasting Minister, described the draft proposal as catastrophic. "Supposing you set up a website for your amateur rugby club, uploaded some images and added a link advertising your local sports shop," Woodward told the report. "You would then be a supplier of moving images and need to be licensed and comply with the regulations."
Woodward proposed a compromise that requires EU states to agree on a new definition of what constitutes "television." "It’s common sense. If it looks like a TV program and sounds like one then it probably is. A program transmitted by a broadcaster over the net could be covered by extending existing legislation.
"But video clips uploaded by someone is not television…YouTube and MySpace should not be regulated."
"British criminal law already covers material that might incite hate or cause harm to children," Woodward added. As it stands, the Government’s definition of online broadcasting covers feature films, sports events, situation comedy, documentary, children’s programs and original drama. It excludes personal websites and sites where people upload and exchange video images.
The Times reported that Woodward is seeking EU member state support for the British compromise. So far only Slovakia has pledged support, but Woodward believes that other nations will come onboard before a key EU Council meeting on November 13.

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Jill Kelly Tries to Retain Trademark

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. - In an attempt to keep the trademark on her name, AVN Hall of Fame performer Jill Kelly filed suit against Penthouse Digital Media Productions in a federal bankruptcy court on Tuesday. A temporary restraining order hearing has been slated for Nov. 2.
In her suit, Kelly claims that she is still the rightful owner of websites (including JillKelly.com and JillKellystore.com), trade names and trademarks.
Penthouse Media Group obtained the assets of Jill Kelly Productions (JKP) in April in a two-hour auction in Bankruptcy Court in Woodland Hills. Kelly claims that the Court made no decision in reference to her name or websites.
The winning bid was $1,765,000. Penthouse outbid three other qualified buyers: Playboy Entertainment Group, New Frontier Media and XGen LLC, which is owned by Frank and Michael Koretsky, who were the initial buyers. The bidding started at $725,000.
The assets auctioned included, but were not limited to JKP’s entire adult library and related masters and other footage, accounts receivables, JK Distribution, Inc., and DVD and other inventory.
Jill Kelly Productions filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August of ’05. In the three months leading up to the action, the company lost its former CEO, president, three contract girls and its publicist, among others, and owed millions to secured and unsecured creditors.
Former JKP CEO Bob Friedland fled to New York, sources said, where he has not been heard from since. Former president Jill Kelly left the organization in June of ‘05, and then the company’s final three contract girls, Jenna Haze, Tyra and Nikki Benz, separately announced their departures, followed by publicist Scott Hoover.

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Strip Club Proponents Sue Over New Regulations

TEMPE, Ariz. - Proponents of a strip club here have filed suit in federal court claiming a new state law requiring exotic dancers to be at least six feet away from patrons is illegal.
Idaho Business Holdings LLC, which proposed the Elite Cabaret, claims in its suit filed in U.S. District Court of Arizona that a new distance requirement for sexually oriented businesses makes it impossible to open the club in the city, the East Valley Tribune reported.
Although adult businesses are not banned outright by the law, the club’s owners say the measure violates their rights of free speech and equal protection.
The suit claims Tempe officials purposely delayed considering the proposed club’s business license because it couldn’t stop it from moving into town. By law, adult businesses in Tempe must be at least 1,000 feet from parks, schools, churches, neighborhoods and other public places. The suit claims the club proposal had met the requirement.
But the suit contends that Tempe officials turned to Rep Laura Knaperek, R-Tempe to make it impossible for adult businesses to operate in the city. Knaperek then drafted a bill that was ultimately approved, calling for a statewide buffer of a quarter-mile or 1,320 feet to purposely block the club.
But Knaperek denied the measure targeted Elite Cabaret, saying she never discussed the bill with city officials.

U.K. Porn Consumption Hits Record High

The U.K. Independent, which recently commissioned a study through Nielsen NetRatings on Net pornography consumption in Britain, on Thursday announced its findings. According to the Sunday edition of the Independent, more than 9 million men, almost 40 percent of the British male population, used pornographic websites last year, compared with an estimated 2 million in 2000, making Britain the fastest-growing market in the world's adult website industry. The number of women downloading Internet porn soared 30 percent to 1.4 million.

The findings were made in what is thought to be the first definitive study of Internet pornography, according to the Independent. Forty minutes was the average amount of time on a monthly basis that both men and women viewed online adult content. One in four men aged 25-49 around 2.5 million had viewed online hardcore images in the past month alone.

According to the study, men tend to prefer picture-based websites, while women prefer erotic chat rooms, although they are more likely to view using porn as an act of betrayal. While it appears to be killing off Britain's softcore porn magazine market, which has dropped to 500,000 sales each month since 2000, many critics believe it has opened the way for the adult movie market.

British censors last week passed a total of 28 R18 movies, compared with 25 for the whole of 2000. More than 7,250 British subscribers were identified from their credit card details, leading to 2,000 prosecutions. The U.K. porn industry is now worth approximately 1 billion pounds sterling ($1.8 billion USD). The business is valued at 20 billion pounds sterling ($37.5 billion USD) globally.

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Arbitrator OKs Firing of Teacher Who Showed Sex Video

An arbitrator has ruled that the Limestone County Board of Education was within its rights when it fired a school teacher accused of showing students an Internet video critical of President Bush that contained some sexual images. Arbitrator Joe Battle wrote in his ruling that while teacher Steve White's actions were not immoral, they were insubordinate because he didn't comply with the district's policy for computer use.

The video, which referred to Bush in vulgar terms, also featured nudity and a video clip of a cartoon showing a woman on a beach in a bathing suit that revealed her body parts, Battle wrote. He said White understood that what he was doing was wrong since a number of students reported that he admonished them not to tell their parents of the video because he would get into trouble.

Stan Davis, Limestone High's principal, began an investigation after parents complained in April that White had shown students Internet clips that included a cartoon of Bill Clinton having sex. During the two-week-long investigation, pornographic material was found in White's computer and administrators later determined that White was showing videos instead of teaching science in his class.

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