Obscenity and pornography

Obscenity and pornography, terms referring to material believed to be publicly offensive. Although the terms are used interchangeably, obscenity refers to morally indecent language or behavior, while pornography refers to sexually explicit printed or pictorial material. U.S. antiobscenity laws attempt to inhibit the sale, presentation, or expression of obscenity and pornography, but heated controversy over the legal definitions of these terms makes it difficult to enforce the laws. Many nations have antiobscenity laws while others, such as Denmark in the late 1960s, dropped legal barriers against adult pornography.