Canadian Adult Store Appeals to Supreme Court

Canadian Adult Store Appeals to Supreme Court

VANCOUVER — The Canadian Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal filed by a store seeking to recover legal costs up to $1 million related to its ongoing battle with Canada Customs.

Little Sister’s, which stocks items for gay adults, filed suit against Canada Customs in 2002, after the agency refused to allow certain items it deemed obscene to enter the country.

Specifically, Canada Customs seized 18 copies each of volumes 18 and 24 of the Meatmen comic book series destined for sale at Little Sister's. Meatmen is a series of 24 anthologies that feature the comic artwork of gay male artists, many of which are erotica intended for an adult audience.

Little Sister’s owner Jim Deva said that although the seized volumes contained depictions of sadomasochism, the comics were not obscene, and that by turning away the items, customs officials were practicing illegal censorship. Further, Deva says the government should have to pay the store’s legal fees.

Deva is basing his argument, in part, on another case Little Sister’s had waged against customs dating back to 1985 that was finally settled in Canada’s Supreme Court in 2000.

In that case, the majority found that Little Sister’s had “suffered prejudice and harassment” at the hands of Customs. The court gave Canada Customs 30 days to prove that material was obscene, which they did not. The Court also awarded partial costs to the bookstore, and granted importers the right to sue Customs for costs as well as special and punitive damages caused by incorrect seizures.

The store decided to exercise that right last year in relation to the Meatmen case, and in July 2004, a court in British Columbia ordered the federal government to pay the bookstore's court costs. In February of this year, however, the B.C. Court of Appeal reversed the lower-court ruling because the courts have not decided whether the seizure was legal or not.

The laws regulating importation of adult material had been re-written after Little Sister’s 200 victory to specifically forbid certain types of comic books.

“Suddenly, out of the blue, the licking of boots was not acceptable,” Deva said, citing an example of material now considered obscene. “If they had known more about that fantasy, and about that sexual act, perhaps they wouldn't have thought of it as dehumanizing and degrading.”

When the case goes before the Supreme Court, the Court will decide only whether Little Sister’s is entitled to legal costs, not whether the Meatmen volumes are obscene, which may make any decision extremely complicated. A date for the hearing has not been set.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

B-Vibe Spotlighted on Reviewed.com

B-Vibe has been featured in a Reviewed.com round-up of top-rated anal toys by writer Ryan Yates.

Orion Debuts New Style From Cottelli Lingerie

Orion Wholesale has added a new style from its Cottelli lingerie line.

The Cowgirl Debuts 'Saddle' Sex Machine

Cowgirl has introduced its new Saddle sex machine with attachments.

XR Brands Debuts 'Jock Enhancers' Collection

XR Brands has introduced its new Jock Enhancers line.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Blush Introduces 'Golden Dawn' Dildo From Avant Line

Blush has debuted the Golden Dawn dildo from its Avant Collection.

Orion Debuts 'Nodding Head' Vibe From Sweet Smile Line

Orion Wholesale has introduced the Vibrator With a Nodding Head from its Sweet Smile line.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Show More