Bit of warning for adult bishoujo fan

Visual Novel Community Archive, 2000-2009
#1

Hi people

Just a bit of warning to people living in Australia,if you ever import adult bishoujo product in any form. I recently bought a DVD from Japan called Mugen no Kyoukai but the package was opened and custom watched it and they seized it. After a few days, they (6 or 7 people) came barging in my house with a search warrant and searched my whole house. They seized many of my DVD,VHS,LD and VCD which they say is prohibited in Australia.
Then they say that after a few weeks,they will decide whether to let me go, fine me or take me to court.

I find it very strange and disturbing because Australia is a free pornography country (we have brothel, prostitution, stripshow,and 1900 numbers). However, they say that rape,child,bondage and bestiality is prohibited BUT Urotsukidoji:Legend of the Overfiend is licensed for Australia local release Of course I myself is not into the prohibited theme that they don’t allowed but in good adult bishoujo those kind of stuff appeared every now and then e.g.Natural/Teacher’s Pet have a bit of bondage, Idol of Darkness has a bit of monster theme.
They even seized a Kodomo no Omocha VCD box set which I bought in Singapore,thinking it was some kind of child pornography.

#2

Yes I know this happens all the time in Australia. (Most my friends are living there.) I send stuff to my mates on a reglar basis. They even take games and play them and then send them about one month later with the sticker, “Open by customs.” If were sending pirate fine open things open and check and what not. But having in customs for one month is just isn’t cricket. (this is even go for graphics book and manga.)

Myself and my friends made lots of complaints. But they just don’t really listern. And yes they will search your house. And lucky you don’t have bootleg/pirate stuff. I heard of stories where they will take you computer away and check and will fine for anything they think is not legal. (Note, what they think.)

Not sure if each state is different though. All my firends and family are in Perth, WA.

#3
quote:
Originally posted by Hogi Bear:
But having in customs for one month is just isn't cricket. [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/frown.gif[/img]

Wow. All of that sounds pretty nasty, but I have one question. Being American, I don't know what that means. (I can guess from context, but I'd rather ask. More enlightenment for me anyway.)

#4

Man…!

You need to go and kick their asses. If you plan to. I’ll help you out. (Cock Shotgun)
No one must interfer in one’s freedom! (Puts in a clip for handgun) We must stop them! (Puts Katana in sword stash)

#5

Man, that’s hard, Kaiser! I’d advice you to make a “secret door” in your floor and hide most of your stuff here. I’ll take up arms as well! grabs Katana For the freedom of our brothers and sisters in Australia!

#6

Thanx for the support and encouragement (and attack plans as well ) people, I really appreciate it

Hogi Bear: I too live in WA (Perth), I think it has the most strict custom rule in all of Australian states.

Spectator Beholder:I’ll try building a secret door though I doubt I can find one in my house.

I tried searching the customs website for any reference to hentai but found no info about it,the only prohibited thing I found was child pornography (which of course is expelled in all over the world).Personally,I think that the customs know nothing about hentai/anime, they just act on what they THINK (like what Hogi Bear said).

Be grateful those who live in a TRUE free country.

P.S.Those custom people have been stalking me and monitoring my house cuz they know the description of my house in the search warrant and they know what time I leave for work (they came @ 7 am)

#7

Wow, thats really harsh. How do you think you’d hold out if they took you to court (or the other way around)? If child porn is considered the only prohibited item, and australia doesn’t have any laws against games / videos of that type in general (which is doubtful if they can sell urotsukidoji), then a trial wouldn’t last very long. I don’t really see what grounds they can hold you to.

Did they happen to mention on what grounds it was siezed and also on what grounds they got a search warrent? I don’t know much about these titles so I don’t know anything about the content of them (except kodomo no omocha, which is crazy that they siezed it).

I know canada in peticular pornography is considered a prohibited item, right next to child porn (funny, that they be classified as the same) On these grounds, I suppose they could fine me, that is presuming they actually open the packages that I get. So far they havn’t opened any.

This is really sad though. I think the government is really overstepping thier bounds, prosecuting innocent people while they could be going after more serious threats.

I wish you the best of luck.

Doddler

#8

The worse case I had dealing with customs in WA was the Hardcover of Lain. It was held in customs for six weeks. (fark knows what they were do it in customs. For those who seen it, there is nothing that I can find offensive in it.) Anyway, my friend went to Welshpool (Bad spelling I think, Kaiser Fire would know the place.) to grab it. Then the officer behind the counter still refuse to hand over the book because I said it didn’t have any commerical value. He told him, “Sorry sir, everything has a value.” He then went so far as to say if the sender, me, didn’t clearify the value they will charge 5 dollars a day for wasting their storage space. (5AUD is about 2.5USD) I was never ever got notified. I send a fax to thier office and amazingly it was sent back to my friend the next day. (free of charge) What I said was not very nice things abot their procedures and I ask for a their classification on why they hold things is customs. I never got a reply to that either.

Kaiser Fire I think it maybe Perth is a bit stricter or they have nothing else better to do. I sent stuff to Vic and NSW and usually do not get this much trouble. The bad thing is they might have black listed you. Customs really suck in Perth.

PS: Guns are illegal in Oz. Unless you have a license. Very strict gun laws there. I been told by my police friend that even my old BB gun is now illegal. &^$%@ is all I can say. Oh well, my sister has it now, it her problem.

#9
quote:
Originally posted by Kaiser Fire:
Spectator Beholder:I'll try building a secret door though I doubt I can find one in my house.

It doesn't have to be big, just make a box-size hole in your floor, see to that it looks like it isn't there when you close it, and, for safety's sake, cover it with something too.

quote:
Be grateful those who live in a TRUE free country.

I am .). Maybe you ought to move to another country where you won't get any problems with customs?

quote:
P.S.Those custom people have been stalking me and monitoring my house cuz they know the description of my house in the search warrant and they know what time I leave for work (they came @ 7 am)

Geez, that's mean. Did you try to explain to them that your stuff wasn't dangerous at all? Did they take your games, too? [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/frown.gif[/img]

#10

I personally think that the officer that inspected my package had a grudge against me or something.Usually a package is only seized and they would never conduct a house raid.

The DVD that they originally seized, according to them contained bestiality (monster). However, the whole theme of the movie is not about that.I think there is only a bit of monster theme for a few second before the hero appears.

I think if I take this case to court, I have a chance of winning because titles such as Urotsukidoji is allowed and many people in Australia owns hentai and selling them (as I see in E-bay and http) but it cost a lot to go to court and to find a good lawyer.

I still can’t see the idea of prohibiting hentai in a country that allows pornography such as Australia (yes,there are nudity and sex scenes in TV at nite). I’m 22,i’m watching it for personal use,it’s cartoon/drawings.

BTW, here is a link to the company that released Urotsukidoji in Australia, just click on title and scroll down:
http://www.manga.com.au/all.html

P.S.I tried calling him once after the house raid to explain the situation but talking to him pisses me off.He assumes himself as right and I’m the criminal at fault and he does not want to hear any explanation.

[This message has been edited by Kaiser Fire (edited 09-12-2002).]

#11
quote:
Originally posted by Kaiser Fire:
I personally think that the officer that inspected my package had a grudge against me or something.Usually a package is only seized and they would never conduct a house raid.

Maybe, it wasn't a grudge, but envy?
Who knows, how much he enjoyed, viewing your stuff, just in order to find anything that may be deemed offensive?

My sympathy for this incident and good luck, if you really go to court with this!

#12

Ouch! Definitely keep us informed of how it goes.

#13

That’s way bad… I hope you get your stuff back… If that happened to me, I’d be so pissed that I would insist on speaking to someone in person and they wouldn’t hear the last of it either. And then I’d move to another country.

I think that some adult stuff is illegal here too (UK), but customs only ever checked one thing that I’ve ordered (Snow Drop) and it didn’t even delay the order.

#14

Kaiser Fire you can’t lose in a court of law in Australia and they know it. What you have there is for personal use and it doesn’t conatin anything that is deem illegal. They have prove it is illegal and that is always expesnive and resource hungry. (time etc.) You also have to realise they will never admin they are wrong. Or at least those exact words. I won’t worry to much about it mate. What would piss me off is thinking, “Hey, I paying for their bloody salaries.”

#15

Thanx for all your replies,thoughts,supports and comments people, I really appreciate it

I will definitely keep you all informed on the updates,the guy said to wait a few weeks,so I’m living my days in torment until the decision is made.

Hogi Bear: you pulled all my thoughts exactly.I can make no further comment on your statement

#16

How does australia’s court system work? I forget the places I heard it from, but from what I know some places in the world, if you lose the court case, you have to pay ALL the fees associated with the trial… Which could be a good thing, or a bad thing, if they did decide to spend that large amount of money to prove it was illigal (if they even can). I think that was in europe though… I don’t remember.

Doddler

#17
quote:
Originally posted by Doddler:
How does australia's court system work? I forget the places I heard it from, but from what I know some places in the world, if you lose the court case, you have to pay ALL the fees associated with the trial...

Don't know about the australian system either, but that sounds like our system here in germany.

#18

I’m not too sure about the court system either. I never broke the law once in my life…except for speeding.
Let’s just hope it doesn’t reach court,I just don’t have the fund to do it

#19

It’s based on the english system. (We are still a colony remember.) You, as defendent, have fork out the costs. There is a legal aid system. It’s long and annoying. However, as defendent they give you a lawyer. Just hope it get thrown out of court and then you don’t have to pay for anything. May even counter sue at that point.

I haven’t broken the law either, but I done jury duty twice. I can see why people don’t like lawyers.

#20
quote:
Originally posted by Hogi Bear:
I haven't broken the law either, but I done jury duty twice. I can see why people don't like lawyers.

Well, I can't say I don't like lawyers since my best friend is a law student but even he mentioned that sometimes the laws just make no sense. (I won't go into my own jury duty story... [img]http://princess.cybrmall.net/ubb/tongue.gif[/img] )