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<section article="gcr" article_name="Criminal Law" number="11-208.1" title_number="11" title_name="Indecency and Obscenity" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Obscene Matter">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>“Child pornography” means any electronic image or visual depiction that is unlawful under § 11-207 or § 11-208 of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>“Controlled or owned”, with respect to a server or other storage device, means to be entirely owned by an interactive computer service provider or to be subject to exclusive management by an interactive computer service provider by agreement or otherwise.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>“Interactive computer service provider” means an entity that provides a service that provides or enables computer access via the Internet by multiple users to a computer server or similar device used for the storage of graphics, video, or images.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>An investigative or law enforcement officer who receives information that an item of alleged child pornography resides on a server or other storage device controlled or owned by an interactive computer service provider shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>contact the interactive computer service provider that controls or owns the server or other storage device where the item of alleged child pornography is located;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>inform the interactive computer service provider of the provisions of this section; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>request that the interactive computer service provider voluntarily comply with this section and remove the item of alleged child pornography from its server or other storage device, if practicable, within 5 business days.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>If the interactive computer service provider does not voluntarily remove the item of alleged child pornography within the time period established in subsection (b) of this section, the investigative or law enforcement officer shall apply for a court order of authorization to remove the item of alleged child pornography in accordance with Title 10, Subtitle 4 of the Courts Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The application for a court order shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>identify the item of alleged child pornography discovered on the server or other storage device controlled or owned by an interactive computer service provider;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>provide its location on the server or other storage device in the form of an Internet protocol (IP) address or uniform resource locator (URL);</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>state the grounds for the issuance of the order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>verify that the item of alleged child pornography resides on the server or other storage device controlled or owned by the interactive computer service provider;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>describe the steps taken to obtain voluntary compliance of the interactive computer service provider with this section;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>inform the interactive computer service provider of its right to request a hearing on the application; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>state the name and title of the affiant.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The investigative or law enforcement officer shall serve the application on the interactive computer service provider.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The interactive computer service provider has the right to request a hearing before the court imposes any penalty under this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The court shall review the application and testimony, if offered, and, upon a finding of probable cause, issue an order that:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>an item of child pornography resides on a server or other storage device controlled or owned by the interactive computer service provider or is accessible to persons located in the State;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>there is probable cause to believe that the item violates § 11-207 or § 11-208 of this subtitle;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the interactive computer service provider shall remove the item residing on a server or other storage device controlled or owned by the interactive computer service provider within 5 business days after receiving the order, if practicable;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>failure of the interactive computer service provider to comply with the court’s order is a violation of this section;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>the removal of the item on the server or other storage device controlled or owned by the interactive computer service provider may not unreasonably interfere with a request by a law enforcement agency to preserve records or other evidence;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>the process of removal shall be conducted in a manner that prevents the removal of images, information, or data not otherwise subject to removal under this section; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>provides the interactive computer service provider notice and opportunity for a hearing before the court imposes any penalty under this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Office of the State’s Attorney shall serve the court’s order on the interactive computer service provider.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The order shall be accompanied by:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the application made under subsection (c) of this section;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>notification requiring the interactive computer service provider to remove the item residing on a server or other storage device controlled or owned by the interactive computer service provider, if practicable, within 5 business days after receiving the order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>notification of the criminal penalties for failure to remove the item of child pornography;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>notification of the right to appeal the court’s order; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>contact information for the Office of the State’s Attorney.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>An interactive computer service provider who is served with a court order under subsection (e) of this section shall remove the item of child pornography that is the subject of the order within 5 business days after receiving the court order, if practicable.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <level label="1">
      <text>An interactive computer service provider may petition the court for relief for cause from an order issued under subsection (d) of this section.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The petition may be based on considerations of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the cost or technical feasibility of compliance with the order; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the inability of the interactive computer service provider to comply with the order without also removing data, images, or information that are not subject to this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Subject to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, an interactive computer service provider shall report the location of an item of child pornography to the State Police if the item of child pornography:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>resides on a server or other storage device that is:</text>
        </level>
        <level label="A">
          <text>controlled or owned by the interactive computer service provider; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="B">
          <text>located in the State; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>based on information apparent to the provider at the time of the report or discovery of an item of child pornography, pertains to a subscriber or user of the interactive computer service who resides in the State.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Subparagraph (i) of this paragraph does not apply to an interactive computer service provider if:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>federal law expressly provides for or permits the referral of a report of an item of child pornography to a state or local law enforcement agency; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>the interactive computer service provider complies with the federal law.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>An interactive computer service provider who knowingly and willfully fails to report the information required under paragraph (1) of this subsection is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>for a first violation, a fine not exceeding $5,000;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for a second violation, a fine not exceeding $20,000; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>for each subsequent violation, a fine not exceeding $30,000.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="i">
    <text>An interactive computer service provider who willfully violates subsection (f) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>for a first violation, a fine not exceeding $5,000;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>for a second violation, a fine not exceeding $20,000; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>for each subsequent violation, a fine not exceeding $30,000.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="j">
    <text>An interactive computer service provider who willfully violates subsection (f) or (h) of this section may be prosecuted, indicted, tried, and convicted in any county in or through which:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the interactive computer service provider provides access to the Internet;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>any communication from the interactive computer service provider traveled; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the communication from the interactive computer service provider originated or terminated.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="k">
    <level label="1">
      <text>This section does not impose a duty on an interactive computer service provider actively to monitor its service or affirmatively to seek evidence of an item of child pornography on its service.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>This section does not apply to the interactive computer service provider’s transmission or routing of, or intermediate temporary storage or caching of, an image, information, or data that otherwise is subject to this section.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="l">
    <text>An interactive computer service provider may not be held liable for any action taken in good faith to comply with this section.</text>
  </level>
</section>
