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FAQs about free speech and music
 
Haven't studies conclusively shown that violent images cause violence?
 
Can violence on television be legally regulated?
 
Isn't it unconstitutional for the government to force TV producers and viewers to use V-chips?
 
Can the government stop funding to an artist or museum?
 
From a First Amendment standpoint, what's wrong with voluntary rating or labeling systems?
 
Can an artist sue a private gallery that refuses to show her art?
 
What’s the difference between satire and parody?
 
Do comic books face censorship today?
 
 

Yes. In the 2000 case Texas v. Castillo, a book dealer was convicted of obscenity for selling a sexually explicit comic book.
 
 
Aren’t comic books supposed to be for kids?
 
Are comic books legally allowed to publish mature content, including sexually explicit or violent material?
 
How can parents know whether particular comics contain mature content?
 
Do nudity or sexual content automatically make a comic obscene?
 
Can comics that are not obscene or child pornography legally be withheld from adults?
 
What about 'indecency' — can sexually explicit comics that aren't obscene or child pornography be regulated to protect children?
 
Can a comic-book retailer be convicted of selling obscenity if he or she didn’t know a particular book was sexually explicit?
 
Can comic-book publishers be penalized for publishing 'indecency' on the Internet?
 
How did 'Son of Sam' laws come to be known by their unusual name?
 
What is the 'of and concerning' requirement in defamation law?
 
How can a work of fiction possibly defame someone?
 
Which book caused the U.S. Supreme Court to examine the constitutionality of New York’s 'Son of Sam' law?
 
Why did the Supreme Court strike down New York’s 'Son of Sam' law?
 
Does a disclaimer in fictional works provide absolute protection from a libel lawsuit?
 
Are such libel-in-fiction lawsuits filed against the author or the publisher or both?
 
Did the Supreme Court say that all 'Son of Sam' laws were unconstitutional?
 
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Last system update: Saturday, November 21, 2009 | 09:36:58
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arts & first amendment issues >
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