Oh Australia.

[friezaess]

Haha, oh wow. I was selling some of Matt's hentai artbooks on eBay for him. There's dozens of the same books on the American eGay site, but today I received this notification saying that my listings had been removed:

Under Australian law it may be a criminal offence for you to buy or sell certain types of publications, films and computer games. The Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 sets out guidelines for the classification of these items. In general, if publications and computer games that are classified RC (refused classification) or films which are classified RC or X are considered by the authorities to be indecent. You may be committing an offence by buying or selling such items on eBay. Items that are intended for use in a sexual setting (including "bondage" and "fetish" items,) display sexual activity or portray human genitalia in a "life-like" or realistic fashion are not allowed and will be ended by eBay. An example of such an item not normally permitted would be a vibrator intended for use in sexual activity (massagers are OK.) Please also be aware that titles with graphic adult language are inappropriate, regardless of the item contained in the listing itself.

The funny thing is, none of these women had visible vaginas due to Japan's censorship rules >_> Under those rules, I sure hope there's no handcuffs or gynecologists' textbooks on eBay :/

Comments

[san.livejournal.com]

"Oh Australia" indeed. D: *dismay*

[damasquerade.livejournal.com]

Lllllaaaaame.

[tortoises.livejournal.com]

D: Sounds kind of... RIDICULOUS B| I can kind of understand the "display sexual activity" or "portray human genitalia blah blah blah" thing, but "intended for use in a sexual setting"? Anything can be used in a sexual setting...

[rose-papillon.livejournal.com]

You know, I've often wondered about some of those items on ebay. It seems you cant type in many anime titles on ebay without explicit doujinshi showing up in the results. I wonder what would happen if someone from Australia purchased one of these doujinshi? Some of them would certainly be illegal here, so if you bought one, would you then have the cops turn up on your doorstep?

[zurka-dameer.livejournal.com]

Oh yay, the joys of our classification system. Don't worry, the Government's making it all better:

"The Australian Classification Board has decided to ban any adult films that feature female ejaculation because they deem the liquid expelled during squirting to be urine. Thus, it comes under the umbrella of “water sports” which our good censors deem to be an obscene activity that should never be depicted on film."

http://www.msnaughty.com/blog/2010/01/16/the-strange-politics-of-obscene-bodily-fluids/

Annnnnd

"The Australian Classifications Board has banned depictions of small-breasted women in erotic media on the grounds that it encourages paedophiles."
(forget where that came from)

Annnnnnnnnnnd

+ Graphical Porn/Hentai/etc

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd

They're using our Classification Board's guidelines for the mandatory filter!
http://www.nocleanfeed.com/

Yay! Don't you feel safter knowing you're not going to stumble upon graphic novels of small brested woman ejactulating; thus turning you into a rabid pedo with a fear of water?

I feel safter already ^_^

[zurka-dameer.livejournal.com]

Also "An example of such an item not normally permitted would be a vibrator intended for use in sexual activity (massagers are OK.) "

What if I brought one as a back massager, but "accidently" used it sexually? What if one accidently fell into my vagina while I was asleep...

XD

Australia is so backward!

[zurka-dameer.livejournal.com]

...also (this issue really bugs me, and work is boring atm..)


"eBay also occasionally reviews adult novelty items and retains a discretion whether or not to allow such items. Such items may include various types of toys, collectibles, or food items in the shape of genitalia primarily intended for adult buyers. These are generally not permitted. Some examples of such items are soaps, certain food items (such as pasta or candy), key chains and vibrators (massagers are permitted). "


:( I cant get my vagina shaped soap to match my boobie shaped soap. What a shame.

[illusionbreaker.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, under Australian law, mosaic censorship does NOT mitigate anything. It's a common misconception - in short? We have worse rules than Japan has (assuming you take all the conventions of self censorship that Japan's industry does as 'rules') which is really, really funny.

Essentially if you can make out certain bits (or percieve to) and just about anything other than straight sex is depicted, it gets knocked up to X 18+, and unless you're in Canberra or the Northern Territory, you're not allowed to sell it. Queensland has an understanding that it won't really bother enforcing it though, from what I understand, and South Australia, well... they brown bag R18+ movies, so take that as you will.

So essentially the only people with relaxed pornography laws are the politicans, (And a territory who statisically can't really afford pornography on a percapita basis, if you want perdanticism.)

Ebay are just covering their hides though, because they aren't doing THEIR side properly either - if they were serious, they'd call in the Classifications Board and/or Federal Police - in fact, they're OBLIGED TO by law.

Just by putting that notice, they're in breech of the law themselves.

If they don't, and the police turn up on your door without being referred to by THEM, you can drag Ebay for breeching the rules as well. If nothing else, you can share the dock with an Ebay execuitive. Might give them an incentive to defend you, if it ever came to that.

But yeah, unfortunately, we're being run by the Church of Rudd, from what I can tell. What really sucks though is that the other team seem no better...