General Discussion

[Berzerker793]

I don't even think its illegal to watch banned movies either. Its just illegal to sell them at all. 

It used to be the case that all movies had to go through the BBFC to get a certificate to get a rating, if a film didn't have a rating then it was illegal to sell it, no matter if it was "Driller Killer" or "Teletubbies". Of course the internets put a severe spanner in the works in regards to that system. 

You can pretty much import what you want but I think if a banned movie is discovered by customs it gets confiscated and destroyed. 

I can't think of many banned movies around any more anyway, even a lot of the so-called video nasties have been released in one form or another.

[fenian]

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Berzerker793 wrote:

I don't even think its illegal to watch banned movies either. Its just illegal to sell them at all. 

It used to be the case that all movies had to go through the BBFC to get a certificate to get a rating, if a film didn't have a rating then it was illegal to sell it, no matter if it was "Driller Killer" or "Teletubbies". Of course the internets put a severe spanner in the works in regards to that system. 

You can pretty much import what you want but I think if a banned movie is discovered by customs it gets confiscated and destroyed. 

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It was the other way around, the loop hole was you could watch and buy an "unrated" film, it wasnt until 2000 that the loophole got closed in europe and it became illegal to sell a movie without rating or that was banned.

But yeah, not sure if its illegal to watch banned films although there are no banned films anymore, just films refused classification, I just know its illegal to supply or show a film without certification now. It wasnt before.

[Berzerker793]

Knew it was something like that, its not something thats bothered me for 20 years though.

And the only still banned movie I can think of is a 25 minute long music video by Nine Inch Nails for their "Happiness in Slavery" song. The BBFC said that at no time would they ever allow it to be sold or showed (in whole or even as a clip) no matter how many cuts or edits were made to it. 

I guess theres still a few out there. 

The internet has largely killed the banning industry though. Mary Whitehouse must be spinning in her grave lol

[WJB1]

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fenian wrote:

But yeah, not sure if its illegal to watch banned films although there are no banned films anymore, just films refused classification, I just know its illegal to supply or show a film without certification now. It wasnt before.

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It's illegal in the UK to posess a film that has been refused a certificate, which effectively makes it illegal to watch it.

[dannyjt]

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WJB1 wrote:

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fenian wrote:

But yeah, not sure if its illegal to watch banned films although there are no banned films anymore, just films refused classification, I just know its illegal to supply or show a film without certification now. It wasnt before.

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It's illegal in the UK to posess a film that has been refused a certificate, which effectively makes it illegal to watch it.

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Is streaming it over the internet classed as 'posessing' it though?

[fenian]

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WJB1 wrote:

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fenian wrote:

But yeah, not sure if its illegal to watch banned films although there are no banned films anymore, just films refused classification, I just know its illegal to supply or show a film without certification now. It wasnt before.

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It's illegal in the UK to posess a film that has been refused a certificate, which effectively makes it illegal to watch it.

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I knew it was something like that, not the actual watching that was the crime but the having it or showing it or along those lines.

[WJB1]

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dannyjt wrote:

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WJB1 wrote:

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fenian wrote:

But yeah, not sure if its illegal to watch banned films although there are no banned films anymore, just films refused classification, I just know its illegal to supply or show a film without certification now. It wasnt before.

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It's illegal in the UK to posess a film that has been refused a certificate, which effectively makes it illegal to watch it.

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Is streaming it over the internet classed as 'posessing' it though?

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I'm not sure but it's probably being streamed illegally anyway.

[fenian]

Your computer caches it so it would be in your possession.

[Berzerker793]

The laws regarding streamed content vary depending where you are. The US considers it all piracy (quell suprise lol) but other nations have a more tolerant attitude. Recent court cases (regarding sports streams not movies) in Spain have sided with the streaming sites although I dont know how the new pan european anti-piracy laws will affect that.

http://www.getoto.net/noise/tag/firstrowsports/

Its all a bit of a grey area but I would guess that streaming of banned material is still probably regarded as banned though. 

[dannyjt]

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Berzerker793 wrote:

The laws regarding streamed content vary depending where you are. The US considers it all piracy (quell suprise lol)

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But how can it all be piracy when some of it is not copyrighted material?