Techdirt reports that the German government, armed with a law that has its origin in more captive content (movies -- the kind shown in theatres) and attempting to apply it to the internet (ebook sales).
Heise.de (German) and Boersenblatt (German) reported on Friday and Thursday that the Jugendschutzbehörde (Youth Protection Authority) has handed down a new ruling which extended Germany's Youth Media Protection Law to include ebooks.
As a result of a lawsuit (legal complaint?) over the German erotica ebook Schlauchgelüste (Pantyhose Cravings), the regulators have decided that ebook retailers in Germany can now only sell adult ebooks between 10 pm and 6 am local time (4 pm and midnight, eastern US).
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday June 24 2015, @01:32PM
Germany has an interesting relationship with sexuality. In medieval times the Catholic church there ran the brothels in some places, because it was believed giving the men an outlet for their passions prevented other social ills (sorry, guys, I don't have a link handy or time to google my way to one now). It's also true you can see nudity on regular television and in magazines and newspapers. The Reeperbahn in Hamburg is a well-known red light district that rivals Amsterdam in Europe.
And yet, you occasionally see moves like this.
For my money, though, the Japanese leave the Germans in the dust for complicated sexuality. You could write volumes. Actually, volumes have been written. And manga. And anime.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 24 2015, @03:24PM
I don't think there is any base of fact in the church running brothels.
(Score: 3, Informative) by janrinok on Wednesday June 24 2015, @06:50PM
Try this link: http://www.badnewsaboutchristianity.com/gfg_prostitution.htm [badnewsaboutchristianity.com]
and from here [wikipedia.org]:
Or you could try this. [thecrimson.com]
There are, of course, sites denying that the church actually 'ran' the brothels, but that they permitted them to be operated and supported them by financial assistance, 'ministering' to prostitutes, and providing protection from those who wished them to be closed down. It's hard to find anyone with any unequivocal evidence either way, but I certainly wouldn't discount it out of hand. The more recent disclosures regarding sexual abuse by priests indicates that they are as fallible as everyone else. Furthermore, the fact that many such abusers were known to the church but provided with 'protection' suggests that the church is entirely able to do things that are criminal when it suits its purpose.
(Score: 1) by slothroplives on Wednesday June 24 2015, @09:11PM
A bishop running some brothels is not the same as the church running them.
(Score: 2) by janrinok on Thursday June 25 2015, @07:21AM
Did you bother to read the links?
Now I suppose those 'great throngs of courtesans' frequenting Saint Peter's Palace could have been tourists but, in 1501, I don't think so.
The reference to Avignon [wikipedia.org] is because there were several people claiming to be the true Pope - but both catholic centers had similar problems with sexual activity, and each supported and protected 'courtesans' inside the church grounds. Now where I live, that is enough to result in a charge of either causing or inciting prostitution for gain, or controlling prostitution for gain [...] .
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday June 24 2015, @03:37PM
Catholic church there ran the brothels in some places
We also have those in the supposedly Puritan USA, but its only for priests and altar boys.
(Score: 1) by Type44Q on Wednesday June 24 2015, @04:18PM
For my money, though, the Japanese leave the Germans in the dust for complicated sexuality. You could write volumes. Actually, volumes have been written. And manga. And anime.
Having grown up there in the mid 70's to early 80's, boy could I tell you stories...!