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Obscenity and video
At the time of the introduction of domestic video
recorders in the United Kingdom in the 1970s, there was
no legislation specifically designed to regulate video
content, apart from the Obscene Publications Act 1959
which had been amended in 1977 to cover erotic films.
Major film distributors were initially reluctant to
embrace the new medium of video for fear of piracy and
the video market became flooded with low-budget horror
films produced by small independent film companies.
Whilst some of these films had been passed by the
British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) for cinema release
some had been refused certification.
The Obscene
Publications Act defined obscenity as that which may
"tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely,
having regard to all relevant circumstances, to read,
see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it".
This definition is of course open to wide
interpretation.
Video nasty - The Best Little Whorehouse
in Texas
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