If you are going to Comic-Con this week you could attend the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund welcome party. Follow the link for all the information:
http://cbldf.org/homepage/sdcc-youre-inivited-to-cbldfs-25th-anniversary-comic-con-welcome-party/
Supreme Hands Down Decision on Brown v. EMA
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has announced on their sight that the Supreme Court has handed down a decision in the Brown v. EMA case. The court struck “down the California law that attempted to ban the sale and display of violent video games to minors in a 7-2 decision”. Justice Scalia wrote the majorities decision for the court. To view the full article and excepts from the decision follow the link below.
http://cbldf.org/homepage/breaking-cbldf-cheers-free-speech-victory-in-brown-v-ema/
CBLDF at ALA
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF) will be attending the American Library Association’s Conference this week. If you are their and reading this or a getting ready to go stop by their booth #1749. Friday night CBLDF is co-sponsoring with First Second Books a Live Art Event from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Some of the artist present will be: Dave Roman – Astronaut Elementary; Raina Telgemeier – Babysitters Club; Jim Ottaviani – Feynman; Ben Hatke – Zita the Spacegirl; and Eric Wight – Frankie Pickle. Then on Saturday starting at 1:00 p.m., Jennifer L. Holm will be signing one-of-a-kind Babymouse prints for a $25.00 membership. There will also be other signed incentives when you make donations at CBDLF’s booth. Stop by and visit and thank them for being a watchdog for First Amendment rights.
http://cbldf.org/homepage/cbldf-heads-to-the-ala-annual-conference-with-exclusive-babymouse-print/
Playing Video Games at the Supreme Court
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s site has posted a short article over Video Games. The Supreme Court is currently looking at a case Brown v. EMA. In this case California is seeking an appeal on a law the state passed, that minors can not purchase video games that have violent content because it is harmful to minors. Within their own state the law was struck down as a violation of the 1st Amendment, hence the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. What is worry some to the CBLDF and others is that this law if left to stand could be expanded to include other forms of media to include comic books. For the full article make the jump below.
http://cbldf.org/homepage/supreme-court-may-soon-make-decision-about-violent-video-games/
Utah and the 1st Amendment
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s site has a report of a coalition the organization has joined. The coalition is working to have one of Utah’s proposed statues defeated. The statue is on censoring the Internet and was passed in 2005, but has not been enforced. It is currently in the courts – Florence v. Shurtleff, No. 05-CV-485 in the United States District Court, District of Utah. The law “seeks to regulate all Internet speech that some might consider ‘harmful to minors’, including works of visual art, photography, graphic novels, and information about sexual health and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth”. Jump of to the site for the full article.
Reader Privacy Still Not Garunteed
Over at the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund site is an article concerning how the Patriot Act has been re-Upped and still gives authorities the right to search book store and library reader records. A campaign was put forth to at least make the search be warrented by having searchs done on records of individuals that are suspected of terrorist or criminal activity, but this measure failed. All records can still be searched. For the full article link below to CBLDF’s site.
http://cbldf.org/homepage/re-upped-patriot-act-fails-to-protect-reader-privacy/
Party in NYC!
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is having a party. If you are a librarian or other type of book representative of the book industry tomorrow night is the date. Join CBLDF from 7-10 p.m. at The Village Pourhouse, 366 West 46th St., New York City, in conjunction with the 2011 Book Expo. This is a membership drive where the organization wants to bring recognition to the struggle that comic books and books are currently involved in with 1st Amendment issues. Follow the link below for the full article.
http://cbldf.org/homepage/cbldf-invites-you-to-the-2011-book-expo-america-member-party/
Some Scary Stuff
Follow the link below for the full interview of Tom Neely and Dylan Williams experience with border officers going into Canada and two of the comic books they had in their possession. Freedom of Speech and Expression, even though I don’t appreciate some content in the variety of types of media (comic books, books, or movies), I support the artists right to express themselves. That’s what makes the United States special. But you should always remember when you enter a foreign country your native country’s rights don’t transfer with you to whichever country you are visiting.
http://cbldf.org/homepage/tom-neely-dylan-williams-speak-out-on-their-customs-seizure-experience/
Quitely with CBLDF
If you are going to WonderCon stop by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund’s booth, #323. Frank Quitely and the CBLDF have joined forces and will be debuting exclusive prints and postcards by Quitely. For a $20 donation you can get one of an unlimited full color print by Quitely. For a $50 donation if you are one of the first 50 donors you will receive a black and white edition of the print, which will be numbered and signed by Quitely. There will also be a two postcard sets, one set will be full color character designs and the other set will be character sketches, available for anyone making a $10 donation to the fund done by Quitely. Only one set for the $10 donation. Follow the link back to CBLDF’s site for the full article.
http://cbldf.org/homepage/cbldf-offers-frank-quitely-exclusives-for-wondercon/
Publishers Weekly and CBDLF
Calvin Reid of Publishers Weekly has written an article about the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. It discusses the fund raising that the organization is doing and how comic books are being challenged in libraries or personally owned. Jump to the article with the link below.