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The work on the Bill "State protection of moral health and on stronger control over the use of products of sexual character" started in 1995, when the initial text in the Legislative assembly of Omsk region was developed. On 16 January 1998, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted the Bill in the second reading (on the first reading, see IRIS 1997-4: 10). 226 Deputes supported the Bill, 104 Deputes voted against it and 113 abstained. Now the Bill is being prepared for the third reading. If the Bill is adopted in the third reading by the State Duma and approved by the Federation Council...

A decree dated 6 May 1998 amends the descriptions of duties and terms of reference of the public-service television channels France 2 and France 3, in an attempt to close the gap between the legal systems governing private channels and public-service channels, thereby making supervision by the regulatory body, the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) easier. The decree of 6 May covers firstly the relations between France 2 and France 3 and audiovisual producers. In 1997 these producers - through their main professional union, the audiovisual production union ( USPA - Union Syndicale de la...

On 28 May 1998 the Council of the European Union adopted a Recommendation "on the development of the competitiveness of the European audiovisual and information services industry by promoting national frameworks aimed at achieving a comparable and effective level of protection of minors and human dignity". The Recommendation was adopted after a relatively long institutional procedure (see IRIS 1996-10: 4 and IRIS 1997-8: 9). On 13 May the European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution containing the Parliament's opinion on the proposal, while on 29 April the European Economic and Social Committee...

On 28 May, in criminal proceedings against the former managing director of the Internet server, CompuserveGermany, the Munich District Court (Amtsgericht München - AG) imposed a two-year prison sentence, which was later suspended on payment of a fine of DEM 100,000. The judge found that the accused had, in 1995 and 1996, wilfully given users access to child and animal pornography via the parent company in the United States. The unlawful material had been stored in so-called newsgroups on computers operated by the parent company. The prosecution had asked for an acquittal, believing that the main...

On 1 May 1998 the Act to Regulate Dissemination of Works which contain Pornography or Promote Violence or Cruelty in Estonia entered into force. The scope of the law extends to all forms of works. Under article 1 (1), the dissemination and exhibition of films containing pornography and promoting violence and cruelty to minors is banned. What is more, any broadcasting of such material on television or radio is banned (Article 1(3)). Works containing pornography or promoting violence and cruelty may in principle only be displayed in sales points specially designed for that purpose and only purchased...