“This DVD has been sanitized for your protection.” What the heck? I think this is fine as is, but will it become a problem as some people want to take it to the next level? I think it could be if we are not careful!

I originally heard of the practice of “sanitizing” movies by editing out content that some find objectionable and then renting or selling the edited copy a few years ago, when a Utah-based company called CleanFlicks sparked controversy and a round of lawsuits by basing their rental business on the practice. Back then, the practice was mostly confined to Utah, but it has since spread to other states as multiple competing sanitized video rental companies have entered the field. The Washington Post has an article on the practice that covers the ongoing dispute between the Director’s Guild of America and the film sanitizers. [Read the rest]