WASHINGTON - Sen. Orrin Hatch is seeking to expand existing protections meant to keep children from being used in pornographic images or movies. Federal law already prohibits using children in production of sexually explicit material, and producers of material depicting sex acts are required to maintain records verifying the age of their performers. Hatch's bill, introduced late last week, expands those record-keeping requirements, requiring the same record-keeping of those producing materials with simulated, rather than just actual, sex acts. It also expands the definition of sexually explicit material to match the definition in other parts of the law; makes it a crime not to produce those records for inspection; and defines what it means to "produce" sexually explicit material to include distributing the material or managing the content online. It exempts Web-hosting services.
posted on metafilter: Pete Ashdown, [pictured] the founder of Utah's oldest ISP, is apparently crazy enough to challenge Orrin Hatch's reelection. Ashdown descided to run when he heard Hatch propose that p2p user's computers should be required to explode (see also the INDUCE Act). Ashdown's campaign is the first to wikify its platform & strategy. Boing boing has endorsed him.
It seems Orrin Hatch had originally supported P2P networks, but was later bought by the RIAA & MPAA.
Hatch won his original congressional seat in the U.S. Senate in 1977, campaigning for Senate term limits. The incumbent Sen. Frank Moss had two term, Hatch is seeking a 6th.
