# 1 Importation or transportation of obscene matters
See References in Text note below.
Whoever brings into the United States, or any place subject to the jurisdiction thereof, or knowingly uses any express company or other common carrier or interactive computer service (as defined in section 230(e)(2) [^1] of the Communications Act of 1934), for carriage in interstate or foreign commerce—
**(a)** any obscene, lewd, lascivious, or filthy book, pamphlet, picture, motion-picture film, paper, letter, writing, print, or other matter of indecent character; or
**(b)** any obscene, lewd, lascivious, or filthy phonograph recording, electrical transcription, or other article or thing capable of producing sound; or
**(c)** any drug, medicine, article, or thing designed, adapted, or intended for producing abortion, or for any indecent or immoral use; or any written or printed card, letter, circular, book, pamphlet, advertisement, or notice of any kind giving information, directly or indirectly, where, how, or of whom, or by what means any of such mentioned articles, matters, or things may be obtained or made; or
Whoever knowingly takes or receives, from such express company or other common carrier or interactive computer service (as defined in section 230(e)(2) <sup>1</sup> of the Communications Act of 1934) any matter or thing the carriage or importation of which is herein made unlawful—
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both, for the first such offense and shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both, for each such offense thereafter.
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**Source Credit**: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 768; May 27, 1950, ch. 214, § 1, 64 Stat. 194; Pub. L. 85–796, § 2, Aug. 28, 1958, 72 Stat. 962; Pub. L. 91–662, § 4, Jan. 8, 1971, 84 Stat. 1973; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), (L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–104, title V, § 507(a), Feb. 8, 1996, 110 Stat. 137.)
### Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 396 (, ; , ).
Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in .
Words “in interstate or foreign commerce” were substituted for ten lines of text without loss of meaning. (See definitive .)
(See reviser’s note under .)
Minor changes in phraseology were made.
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
Section 230(e)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934, referred to in text, was redesignated section 230(f)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934 by , , , and is classified to , Telecommunications.
### Amendments
1996—, inserted “or interactive computer service (as defined in section 230(e)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934)” after “carrier” in first par.
, in second par., inserted “or receives,” after “takes”, “or interactive computer service (as defined in section 230(e)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934)” after “common carrier”, and “or importation” after “carriage”.
1994—, in last par., substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” after “Shall be” and for “fined not more than $10,000” after “and shall be”.
1971— struck out “preventing conception, or” before “producing abortion”.
1958— substituted “uses” for “deposits with” in opening par., “carriage of which” for “depositing of which for carriage” in penultimate par., and inserted penalty provisions for subsequent offenses in last par.
1950—Act , brought within scope of section the importation or transportation of any obscene, lewd, lascivious, or filthy phonograph recording, electrical transcription, or other article or think capable of producing sound.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 1971 Amendment
Amendment by effective , see , set out as a note under .
### Construction of 1996 Amendment
> “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and
>
> ] are clarifying and shall not be interpreted to limit or repeal any prohibition contained in sections 1462 and 1465 of title 18, United States Code, before such amendment, under the rule established in United States v. Alpers, 338 U.S. 680 (1950).”
, , , provided that: