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Hi Woody,
Like it, except for the R18 bit!

Having previously worked in the licensing and distribution end of the UK adult industry, I should point out a few things to help clarify this argument.

Firstly, it is equally as illegal to own a non-certified mainstream film (The US version of Fight Club is longer than ours, for example) but the authorities do nothing to clamp down on this.

If you've ever been in any of the illegal pirate video shops around Soho, you will notice that if they have an R18 on the shelf, they will black the R18 boxes out. This is because (paradoxically) they will get into more trouble selling an R18 and not being licensed to do so than they will selling an uncertified and illegal (i.e. pirated) video. So even if the R18 version is heavily cut, it makes more legal sense for them to sell the uncut original.
That's just the topsy-turvy way the system works, for some reason.

This is the same with mail order...there are tons of companies selling 'grey' imports of American or European DVD's, many of which are already available over here. It just makes more sense legally to import them than to sell R18's, as the risks are that much less, even though they are in violation of the law anyway by selling uncertified material.

By the way, any suggestions that the big guns of the UK sex industry will challenge this are far-fetched in my opinion.....that would open the market up to any Tom, Dick, or Harry to come in and take their business with none of the hassle or considerable costs of running a licensed sex shop. Right now, the market is limited by the mountain-must-go-to-Mohammed nature of mail order not being strictly legal, but if mail order were to become legal, what would stop HMV or Virgin setting up a subsidary company and then cutting out the competition with massive discounts on account of their purchasing power? Nothing, really....so it makes sense to be content with being the big fish in the small pond for now rather than looking for more expansive waters where the real big boys are lurking.

Just my two pennies worth...

I am afraid Dan is right about the big guns of the UK sex industry. There is not likely to be much call for change from that direction, but the system has become so disjointed and so totaly unworkable that I think it might eventualy just stop being inforced. The likely derestriction of adult television services might also help.

It is not illegal to own a non-certified film or even to buy an un-certified film, neither is it illegal to buy or own an 'obscene' film (except child porn). What is illegal is to sell it, or in the case of obscene material even to give it away.

Thanks for clearing up my assertion about mainstream non-certified titles, Paul. I should have made the point clearer myself!

Also, I have to agree with you 100% re: British Adult TV stations too...