An artist challenges the American obscenity law. “The case, filed in 2001 by Barbara Nitke, whose Web site includes pictures of sadomasochism and bondage, argues that the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which prohibits obscene material from being distributed on the Internet, is overly broad and violates the First Amendment. Ms. Nitke contends that the law has a chilling effect on artists, educators and alternative-sex advocates because the explicit material they present on the Web could be deemed obscene in parts of the country, even if it is acceptable under community standards in other parts.”
Tag: 07.28.05
Do Used Books Help New Books?
Does a strong online used-book market lessen the sales demand for new books? A new study says not: “When used books are substituted for new ones, the seller faces competition from the secondhand market, reducing the price it can set for new books. But there’s another effect: the presence of a market for used books makes consumers more willing to buy new books, because they can easily dispose of them later.”
Seattle Theatre Glows Healthy
Seattle theatre has rebounded after a couple of down years. Every major theatre in the Seattle region reports increased ticket sales, reduced deficits and a generally healthy outlook…
Tomlinson Says He’ll Fight For Public Broadcasting Balance
Ken Tomlinson, head of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, visits editors of the Washington Times to make his case about political balance in public broadcasting. “This is something the public broadcasting community is going to have to come to grips with,” said Mr. Tomlinson, a Republican. “In the future, [in order to get] the kind of Republican support they need to have a future, they are going to have to demonstrate that public broadcasting is for people across the spectrum.”
Report: Discrimination Common Against Disabled Actors
A new study says discrimination against actors with disabilities is high. “Performers with disabilities are more than 50 percent more likely to experience workplace discrimination than Americans without disabilities.”
Report: 26 Million Attended NY Arts Events In 2004
A new study reports that nearly 26 million attended non-profit arts events in New York City in 2004. “For New York City’s legitimate theatre industry, one of the report’s central conclusions — that the total audience for nonprofit cultural organizations is ‘more than twice that of the Broadway theatre’ — is doubtless going to be subject to spin and interpretation. For example, it might be seen as representing Broadway’s relative strength both as a cultural and tourist destination and as a universally recognized brand.”
Canada’s Supreme Court Refuses Appeal On iPod Levy
The court lets stand a charge levied on sale of music player devices such as iPods.”In December 2003, the Copyright Board approved the group’s request to collect the new levy, which was built into the Canadian prices of digital audio recorders and MP3 players. The new charge ranged from an extra $2 tacked onto the price of a music player using up to one gigabyte of non-removable memory up to an extra $25 on the price of a player using more than 10 GB of memory.
Calatrava, Master Drawer
Architect Santiago Calatrava talking about his new Chicago tower? Fuhgeddaboudit! But put a pen in his hand and have him draw? It’s magic. “While this drawing business has elements of showbiz — what a Disney animator he would have been! — it’s also Calatrava’s way of thinking: dreaming onto the sketchpad, trolling for inspiration, one seemingly unrelated image giving way to another and another until something clicks and a path opens up. Birds lead to human figures, which lead to eyes, which lead to something like a church monstrance.”
Study: Dali = Big Bucks For Philly
“The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Salvador Dalí exhibit generated $55 million in economic activity in the Philadelphia region, created 830 equivalent full-time jobs, and added more than $4.46 million in increased tax revenue, according to a report.”
Korean Composer At The Top
Ivan Hewett meets Unsuk Chin, who last year won the Grawemeyer Award, the musical world’s richest prize for composers. Never before had a Korean composer made it so big in the West, and back home it was headline news. I suggest that after her long exile in Berlin, where she went in 1986 to study on a German government scholarship, she could now return to her roots and enjoy her celebrity status. The idea horrifies her.”