BBFC new rules

[Phil mCc]

Dear Customer,

Offers to supply R18 material other than in a licensed sex shop

I am writing to give you notice of a change of policy which will come into effect on Wednesday 15th March 2006.

As you may be aware, the issue of mail order supplies of works classified R18 has been the subject of recent legal action and the matter is now settled in domestic law. Following the outcome of the court action, the BBFC has taken legal advice regarding the use of classified video works as a means of promoting mail order supplies of ?hardcore? sex tapes.

Under the Video Recordings Act 1984 it is illegal to offer to supply an 'R18' classified video work other than in a licensed sex shop. This prohibition includes offers to supply by mail order from websites based outside the UK: making the offer in the UK is an offence in itself even if the supply would originate from abroad.

It is also illegal to offer to supply an unclassified video work unless that work is exempt from classification. Hardcore pornography is, by its nature, not exempt from classification.

Some video works include references to postal or website addresses and our legal advice is that we are entitled to cut these if they constitute part of an offer to supply R18 material or its equivalent (or stronger). Legal advice further suggests that whether a reference to an address constitutes part of an illegal offer to supply will depend on both the nature of the reference and the nature of the video in which it appears.

The following policy will therefore apply to all works submitted after 15th March 2006:

Sex works (18 or R18)

i) A simple website or postal address with no suggestion (verbal, text or
pictorial) that goods or services can be purchased from it (eg
?www.productionhouse.com?) will normally be passed uncut unless the title itself implies that goods can be purchased from the address (eg
?www.buystuffhere.com?) in which case (ii) applies.

ii) A website or postal address accompanied by a suggestion (verbal, text or pictorial) that goods or services can be purchased from it (eg ?Products are available in our online store www.productionhouse.com?) will normally be cut if a visit to the website reveals that it appears to be offering R18 material or its equivalent (or stronger) by mail order.

All other works

iii) A website or postal address with no suggestion that goods or services relating to R18 material or its equivalent (or stronger) can be purchased from it (eg ?mailorderdvds.com?) will normally be passed uncut.

iv) A website or postal address accompanied by a suggestion (verbal, text or pictorial) that goods or services relating to R18 material or its equivalent (or stronger) can be purchased from it (eg ?get hardcore sex at www.illegal supply.com?) will normally be cut if a visit to the website reveals that it appears to be offering R18 material or its equivalent (or
stronger) by mail order.

NB ?by mail order? involves an offer to sell a tape, disc, chip or other storage device by means of the post or a parcel or courier service or similar. An offer to supply hardcore material by video-on-demand (streaming, downloads, etc) or other manner in which no physical product changes hands does not count as mail order supply of a video work.


If you have any questions regarding this policy, please do not hesitate to contact me, Craig Lapper or Murray Perkins on 020 7440 1570.


The interesting part is download and streaming..nice to see they are pushing business our way.

Phil McC

[one eyed jack]

Nothing new there for me Phil, I've been advertising my sites since day and we don't do mail order either. Just mentioned the sites...I thought this was in practice already...

[joe king]

Can I ask where you got this?

[Mrs McCavity]

Direct from BBFC this morning,

Phil on Bev's PC

[jimmy068]

Why have they got such a problem with buying dvds via mailorder? Talk about one step forward two steps back! Most of the time you can never find the titles you're after in a sex shop anyway and the staff in those places are usually completely disinterested in helping you. Ive found a lot more variety on the internet than I would ever in a shop plus you don't get ripped off that much either. Does this mean I'll be arrested if I order something that gets sent from Europe now? Even if its no different from what is allowed by law to view in this country? Christ have they nothing better to do??

[videokim]

Looks like we are all going to busy at the boot sales, is there any clever people out there who can sort out a way to advertise films etc through mobile downloads where the customer can then e-mail the seller with a code & pay through 'PayPal' with only a code on the 'Paypal' transaction so they don't know its an adult product. I know the customer will also be breaking the law buying but a new law like this from the BBFC will only start up under the counter sales they have tried to stop.
What stops producers filming the sea or their local park editing it onto a dvd & selling it for say ?15-?20 & give away a free adult DVD?
The above may be silly idea's but we have 3 months to work out a new loop hole.

Kim

[eduardo]

Don't panic jimmy if I have read it right then all they are trying to do is prevent distributors and/or film makres from putting adverts on the dvd that they are selling informing you where you can buy your stuff by mail order.

You can still buy your stuff and sites such as Tabor, YC, Simply etc etc will continue to sell it.

[Mad Burt]

We have a guy in Redditch who makes his own adult films outside BBFC classification gets them all pressed to dvd5 and sells them via the boots and fairs. The guy is making a packet and for some reason the local TS leave him be. He's even giving films to other booters to sell on other boots so perhaps thats a route it will go making everyone crims

Malc

[jimmy068]

Phew!!! I do like to treat meself to a nice porn flick now & then you see!!

Cheers Ed!

[Mrs McCavity]

Burt the guy might be but he is comitting a criminal act not a TS one and when he does get nicked they will take his house, car wifes fur coat. We have to get round the law not break it. Kim giving it free is against the law as its distribution. one way is to register anyone as a professional user ie editor or producer or reviewer. They are exempt, then have 2 prices say ?40 for normal and ?15 for professional users or trade. It is lawful to do this but again it is plainly playing with the law so runs risks...best idea IPTV totally lawful because BBFC or OFCOM are barred from involvement.

Phil on Bev's PC