New Zealand Regulatory Agency Rules on Sex Toy Window Displays (XBIZ)

Read the full article by Drew Fox at XBIZ.com 

AUCKLAND — The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), a New Zealand advertising industry self-regulatory agency, has affirmatively ruled for the window displays of adult retailers that include sex toys.

The ruling is in response to a formal complaint filed by Auckland mother Lynne Low, according to a report in Stuff. Low, who also petitioned the New Zealand Parliament to have the sex toys removed, held a protest with her children outside of the DVX adult entertainment store. The store had been displaying "Fetish Fantasy Series bondage products, some pink fluffy handcuffs, a pink whip and five packets of Ovo vibrators."

The ASA, however, ruled that as long as the window displays weren't depicting anything "sexually explicit" then simply displaying pleasure products did not rise to the level of being obscene.

"The Complaints Board did not uphold a complaint about the display of sex toys in the shop window," said the ASA's ruling. "This is because the presentation of the toys in the shop window display was not sexually explicit and was not likely to cause serious or widespread offense."

Originally there had also been displays of bondage gear in packaging featuring pictures of people using the products. Once the packaging was removed, with just the products remaining, the ASA considered the matter settled.