A report on Obscenity

Cover of an undated American edition of Fanny Hill, c. 1910
The 18th century book Fanny Hill has been subject to obscenity trials at various times (image: plate XI: The bathing party; La baignade)

Any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time.

- Obscenity
Cover of an undated American edition of Fanny Hill, c. 1910

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Howl and Other Poems was published in the fall of 1956 as number four in the Pocket Poets Series from City Lights Books.

Howl (poem)

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Poem written by Allen Ginsberg in 1954–1955 and published in his 1956 collection Howl and Other Poems.

Poem written by Allen Ginsberg in 1954–1955 and published in his 1956 collection Howl and Other Poems.

Howl and Other Poems was published in the fall of 1956 as number four in the Pocket Poets Series from City Lights Books.
The administrative board of Yleisradio is getting ready to discuss the broadcast of “Howl” in December 1969.

Upon the poem's release, Ferlinghetti and the bookstore's manager, Shigeyoshi Murao, were charged with disseminating obscene literature, and both were arrested.

Penguin Books

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British publishing house.

British publishing house.

Plaque marking the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Penguin Books by Allen Lane at 8 Vigo Street.
Penguin Crime editions.
Penguin's English edition of Yuri Krimov’s novel The Tanker “Derbent"
Penguin Classics editions
The 80 Little Black Classics published in 2015 marking the 80th anniversary Penguin Books
Four Pelican book covers, showing the gradual shift in the design. From left – 1937 (three bands), 1955 (grid), 1969 (illustrated), and 2007 (a "Penguin Celebrations" throwback edition)
Covers of two Penguin Education titles

The novel was at the time unpublished in the United Kingdom and the predicted obscenity trial, R v Penguin Books Ltd, not only marked Penguin as a fearless publisher, it also helped drive the sale of at least 3.5 million copies.

Memoirs v. Massachusetts

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Memoirs v. Massachusetts, 383 U.S. 413 (1966), was the United States Supreme Court decision that attempted to clarify a holding regarding obscenity made a decade earlier in Roth v. United States (1957).

Patently offensive

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Patently offensive is a term used in United States law regarding obscenity under the First Amendment.

Hicklin test

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The Hicklin test is a legal test for obscenity established by the English case Regina v Hicklin (1868).

State v. Henry

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State v. Henry was a 1987 decision of the Oregon Supreme Court which held that the Oregon state law that criminalized obscenity was unconstitutional because it violated the free speech provision of the Oregon Constitution.

Burroughs in the 1980s

William S. Burroughs

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American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular culture and literature.

American writer and visual artist, widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular culture and literature.

Burroughs in the 1980s
William S. Burroughs' childhood home on Pershing Place in St. Louis
William S. Burroughs and James Grauerholz in the alley behind the Jazzhaus in Lawrence, Kansas (1996)
Burroughs and David Woodard with Brion Gysin Dreamachine, 1997

Once published in the United States, Naked Lunch was prosecuted as obscene by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, followed by other states.

Oz (magazine)

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Independently published, alternative/underground magazine associated with the international counterculture of the 1960s.

Independently published, alternative/underground magazine associated with the international counterculture of the 1960s.

OZ London, No.33, February 1971. Cover image by Norman Lindsay
Oz London, No.28: the Schoolkids Issue
Oz London, No.33, back cover advertising "A Gala Benefit for the Oz Obscenity Trial"
Oz London, No.31, November 1970, pp. 1 and 2
Oz London, No.31. The text in the lower right corner says: "He drives a Maserati / She's a professional model / The boy is the son of the / art editor of Time magazine / Some revolution!"
Oz London, No.33, p. 6

In both Australia and the UK, the creators of Oz were prosecuted on charges of obscenity.

Max Hardcore at the AVN Expo in Las Vegas, January 2015

Max Hardcore

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American pornographic actor, producer and director better known by his stage name Max Hardcore.

American pornographic actor, producer and director better known by his stage name Max Hardcore.

Max Hardcore at the AVN Expo in Las Vegas, January 2015
Max Hardcore with frequent co-stars Layla Rivera (left) and Catalina (middle)

He spent two and a half years in prison (2009–2011), convicted in a trial for obscenity.

Obscenity Prosecution Task Force

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Organization created in 2005 by the United States Department of Justice.

Organization created in 2005 by the United States Department of Justice.

The OPTF's job was to investigate and prosecute producers and distributors of hardcore pornography that meets the legal tests for obscenity, as defined by the Supreme Court of the United States.