Ashcroft is back!

LadyLaw · 03-02-2004

http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=15143&c=252

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today regarding the Child Obscenity Protection Act ("COPA").

Here is an excerpt from the article:

The Child Online Protection Act imposes draconian criminal sanctions, with penalties of up to $50,000 per day and up to six months imprisonment, for material judged "harmful to minors."

The speech that is criminalized under the law includes sexual advice and education, web-based chat rooms and discussion boards involving sexual topics, and websites for bookstores, art galleries and the news media.

Dr. Mitch Tepper, an ACLU client who attended today’s argument, said he fears that some communities will be offended by material on his website, which provides sex information for the disabled including articles such as "Sex Toys and Where to Purchase Them," and "Hands-Free Whoopie."

"While a government attorney in Washington might say my website is not ‘harmful to minors,’ a prosecutor in some other community may think differently, and as a result I could wind up in jail and bankrupt from huge fines," Dr. Tepper said.

Briefs supporting the ACLU challenge were filed by a broad range of mainstream media and arts organizations, including the Association of American Publishers, American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Recording Industry Association of America and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts."

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03-02-2004	#1
LadyLaw Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 366	http://www.aclu.org/Privacy/Privacy.cfm?ID=15143&c=252 The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today regarding the Child Obscenity Protection Act ("COPA"). Here is an excerpt from the article: The Child Online Protection Act imposes draconian criminal sanctions, with penalties of up to $50,000 per day and up to six months imprisonment, for material judged "harmful to minors." The speech that is criminalized under the law includes sexual advice and education, web-based chat rooms and discussion boards involving sexual topics, and websites for bookstores, art galleries and the news media. Dr. Mitch Tepper, an ACLU client who attended today’s argument, said he fears that some communities will be offended by material on his website, which provides sex information for the disabled including articles such as "Sex Toys and Where to Purchase Them," and "Hands-Free Whoopie." "While a government attorney in Washington might say my website is not ‘harmful to minors,’ a prosecutor in some other community may think differently, and as a result I could wind up in jail and bankrupt from huge fines," Dr. Tepper said. Briefs supporting the ACLU challenge were filed by a broad range of mainstream media and arts organizations, including the Association of American Publishers, American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Recording Industry Association of America and Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts."