DOn't get arrested on your way to Montreal!
 

Just a little public service announcement for my friends traveling to Montreal for the show:

Had dinner with Alyssa (Max Cash) today and she was retelling a story of a friend who got into trouble with Canadian customs when they went through the files on his laptop and there were bondage photos on it. Lots of us here keep content for clients or our sites with us when we travel and you might want to think about what content is on your drive when you go.

I'm sure the Canadian webmasters here could lend more advice on what is okay or not. But I figured I'd best mention something so no one has trouble.

Don't get caught with illiegal stuff, plain and simple.. or are they even allowed to see tru ur laptop? easy, open it up and unplug the power to the hard drive, and say it defective

So they got arrested for having the photos? 2 or 3 years back I had some content via mail confiscated by customs becuase it had a slight bondage theme, it's a big no no.

Yeah but what's legal here (or wherever someone is coming from) may not be legal in Canada. So all I know is the bondage stuff was a no-no. What else?

fisting?
play it safe, unplug the HD... and put a lil sticker over the screw holes so they'll think if they break it it fucks up the warentty, I don't tink they will open it?

That's funny. You're safer just FedEXing your laptop probably now and then FedExing it back.

What a fucking invasion of privacy.

i thought canada was so open to porn

Welcome to after 9/11

I dont think a sticker will stop customs from opening your shit

Asuna who is more invasive the Canadian customs officers or the US customs officers?

I haven't been up to Canada for many years, but I remember the Canadian guys as being easier to deal with.

but you can aruge that your bringing it for repair and if they seal is broken your warenty is dead?

Bondage is illegal in Canada?

Okay where's all the canuck content experts????

All I know is that one guy got his shit taken because of the B&D on it and had to get out of trouble. This was before 9/11 for the person who mentioned that, by the way.

I mentioned it...
hmmm... I don't know the exact laws, so I won't start saying well i THINK this.. and THINK that..

go through on one of hte smaller places, they don't check shit. at least, they used to not do so. went through with a 27' 5th wheel a couple years back, and we could have had 100 illegal immigrants in the trailer and they wouldn't have known. they were just like "anything to declare" we were like "no" and they were like "have a nice day". i think that was the dakotas or something, in that area..

Last time I went to Montreal I got pulled off the train and they searched my bags. Me and two Columbian looking dudes. Apparently South Americans and long haired guys are drug dealers or something. This time my head is shaved so maybe they'll think I'm carrying weapons for my arian brothers or some dumb shit. =\

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh

Im looking for spanking videos for my new site, you know nyone?

I know in Toronto, chicks can walk around topless...

I didn't think they would strap you for having bondage on your computer. That's just dumb.

Yes and no. Nothing "offending to community standards" is allowed.

Which means customs gets to do whatever they fuck they want.

I'm going to move all the stuff off to a server then re-download it when I get there as needed.

Not that easy to be precise.

Customs is one legal entity that will prohibit the entering of the merchandise. But you can produce in Canada what is prohibted to import...
Once imported, customs rarely will go after the merchandise ( excluding drugs of course...). In fact, some provincial entity will approve stuff that could be deemed obscene by the customs.

BTW it is worst going into the US with porn than the other way around. In Canada, we distribute movies that are all imported from the US, Europe, Orient .... legally.

Here is a document from customs that should guide you:

http://www.ibillsucks.info/files/douane.jpg

Awesome post, thanks. Guess the point is valid in two directions then. =] Either way... keeping content on a server seems to be the best move just on the out chance someone in customs decides to flip on the machine going in or out.

I had made this same post elsewhere and someone had a simple but bright idea. Just take all the stuff and put it in a big zip file (password protected even). Simple enough. Name it something like tradeshow presentation videos or something else innocuous.

cant you just put all your porn files in a locked folder that's buried sooo deep inside your system no one will even look in there?

C:\Program Files\Macromedia\Dreamweaver 4\Configuration\Behaviors\Actions\Set Text\porn files :)

Yeah why risk it though. Maybe they do a Find for *.jpg? Dunno how the first guy had trouble with it but I'd rather not go through the hassle. A big ol' zip file is easy.

why not just encrypt it?

Why not just pop the fuckers in the head with your laptop, snatch some weed from the hippies two cars back and hightail it to S. Dakota?

Simple solution.

Or, just don't put porn files on the computer you take with you.

Why don't you just put a bios password on the laptop. End of problem.

Somehow I think they'd ask you to input the password for them? What do you think happens if you say no?

So much for free speech in Canada.

right, zip it, rename the file 001tmp.dat

you guys cant hide files? What good are you?

i heard you can put a "disclaimer" page when you laptop boot up saying they can't go thru your email and some stuff and it is endorsed bu the UN. The best is to call your lawyer and get an advice on that.

This topic is of interest not only if your are traveling to Canada - but if your travelling to US from Canada or anywhere in the world.

I would recommend encrypting your personal file, business file and email with PGP or similar encryption.

customs will seize content that has fisting, 2 or more cocks in one hole, and most bondage stuff if it looks like the girl is in ANY pain or discomfort whatsoever.

That is what we have done in the past, the computer or camera has to be working, in order for you to get it past airport security. Otherwise they think is a bomb,and they have more rights then you have ever dreamed of:2 cents:

who brings a laptop to shows? :winkwink:

You say you don't know it, what are they gonna do, put a mindprobe on you, common guys, don't give them more power than they have wtf??

When I went to Florida early march this year, the US customs officer asked me to check my laptop. I said yes, there was nothing on it ( was on holiday). They asked me to boot it and went thru a few folders.
If I would of say NO, I wouldn't be writing this now, I would be in Gantanamo Bay resort ...

As far as general rules in Canada go:

1) Violence is sometimes obscene
2) Degradation of women is usually obscene
3) Violence combined with degradation of women is ALWAYS obscene

Also, for bondage...
if you have both hands tied, you cannot have penetration.
You can pee, but not ON someone.
The 'victim' of the bondage cannot show physical wounding, like welts or anything from the bondage.

That's what I've found in my own perusal of the Criminal Code and various cases over the years. I love having access to a college library. :)

Yes, the Canadian guys do search cars, and they can be butt-heads about things. I've gotten more flak from them coming home than I do from the American customs guys entering the states (driving through). Just for GOD'S SAKE don't bring any firearms with you. :)

I bring my laptop with me whenever I go flying or driving to the states (other than day trips). At the airport I used to have to plug it in and turn it on, but now they just swab it for explosives and x-ray it. Driving through, they make sure it's not new and being smuggled. Twice I had to turn it on, and both times we had photography equipment with us. They sat down with my boyfriend and made him show them the pictures, which they then waved through. NOTE: That was the American customs that did that to us.

Hope that helps!

.... why not put it all on a PGP disk, it asks for a passphrase before it can get mounted.

Okay so you have a file on your own computer that you don't know the password to? Now in their eyes you are either hiding something or a total moron.

We digress though. Uploading to a server... zip file with innocuous name, etc... a few good solutions presented here. The point being I wanted to mention to anyone before they ended up with a big headache that could have been avoided.

I use the "hide partitions" function in PartitionMagic to hide data.

Oooo... geeky neato! I want that! =] Never knew it could do that.

Zip it up, and don't tell em that you are going to a porn convention :)

From experience I usually just tell customs guys that I'm going on vacation... unless I'm bringing stuff that makes it obvious that its not a vacation - but then shipping stuff down is way easier.

When you tell em your going to a trade show for business then they have all sorts of questions, or think you are trying to work illegaly.

I've never been pulled over for a more thourough search except when I tell em I'm going for some work purpose.

well when your 20 like me you get fucked with both ways, but im a citizen of both countries. i tell them to kiss my ass and let me in.

This kills me. Have you ever seen that show KINK on showcase? It is filmed here and they show loads of BDSM acts, welts, blood etc., Customs just kills me.

There is a book store in Vancouver called Little Sisters, they generally provide material for the gay and lesbian communtiy. They have been fighting with Canadian Customs FOREVER regarding books and magazines being obsene.

Actually, there is a movie losely based on it called 'Better than Chocolate' excellent movie:thumbsup

Canada Customs sucks ass when it comes to shit like that, they have the power to say no, so they abuse it and nothing happens. They are all wanking off somewhere in a corner with all of the confiscated material:ak47:

And to those of you, who say don't tell the password bwahahaha they will just take your laptop, and that's the end of that!