There has been much debate over the legal understanding of the term obscene and its use. Constitutionally, the term is used to define certain behaviors or expressions in films, art or literature. The law attempts to consider the effects that obscenity would have on people's morals or on the minds of those who view the material. It also considered the effect certain publications would have on the hands they might fall into. The idea has evolved over the years since its inception and the legal aspects behind it. The issue of obscenity was primarily associated with films and visuals. productions that produced material accessible to the public. The United States Supreme Court was at the forefront in handling the case through the Supreme Court (Boyer, 2006, p. 167). Free speech for films was first announced in 1952, when films were to receive protection through the First Constitutional Amendment in the United States. But the idea was contested by certain institutions in 1954 on the question of censorship. There was an argument that the films had no meritorious protection from the constitution. Indeed, films were simple affairs and their content was developed on the need to compete by being fun and entertaining (Wittern, 2008, p.99). It was therefore necessary to censor films to protect the public from obscenities. It has become difficult to ensure that the judiciary does not impose any censorship charges. Obscenity took many forms in many objects that most people get their hands on, from books to magazines. As the world industrialized and globalization took place, access to materials that were considered middle of paper... things kept changing. Obscenity is an issue that must be addressed today and in the future and this can only be done through the power of the highest court, the Supreme Court. Works Cited Slade, Joseph W. Pornography and Sexual Representation: A Reference Guide. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001. Print. Boyer, Paul S. The Oxford Companion to American History. Oxford: University of Oxford. Press, 2006. Internet resource. Downs, Donald A. The New Politics of Pornography. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989. Print. Quinn, A J. Censorship of Obscenity: A Comparison of Canon Law and American Constitutional Law. Rome: Officium Libri Catholici - Catholic Book Agency, 1963. Printed. Wittern-Keller, Laura. Freedom of the screen: legal challenges linked to state film censorship, 1915-1981. Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky, 2008. Internet Resource.