The first issue of Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine, founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, which has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., reaching into every form of media. Playboy is one of the world's best known brands. In addition to the flagship magazine in the United States, special nation-specific versions of Playboy are published worldwide.
The magazine is published monthly and features photographs of nude women, along with various articles on fashion, sports, consumer goods, and public figures. It also has short fiction by top literary writers, such as Arthur C. Clarke, Ian Fleming, Vladimir Nabokov, and Margaret Atwood. The magazine has been known to express liberal opinions on most major political issues. Playboy's use of "tasteful" nude photos is classified as "softcore" in contrast to the more "hardcore" pornographic magazines that started to appear in the 1970s in response to the success of Playboy's more explicit rival, Penthouse. Today, Playboy is a significant producer and distributor of hardcore pornography due to its 2006 acquisition of ClubJenna Inc and its ownership or several adult cable channels such as the Spice Network.

History
The best-selling Playboy edition was the November 1972 edition, which sold 7,161,561 copies. One-quarter (1/4) of all American college men were buying the magazine every month.

Circulation
In many parts of Asia, including India, mainland China, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei, the sale and distribution of Playboy is banned. In addition, its sale and distribution is banned in almost all Muslim countries in Asia and Africa, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. However, it is sold in Hong Kong. In Japan, where the genitals of models cannot be shown, a separate edition of Playboy is published under license by Shueisha.
An Indonesian edition of Playboy launched in April 2006, but the controversy started before the first issue was published. Even the publisher said that the content of the Indonesian edition will be different from the original edition but the government was trying hard to ban it by using anti-pornography rules, since the Indonesian government cannot ban any medium. A local Muslim organization, the Islamic Defenders Front (IDF), also opposed to Playboy being published on the grounds that it is pornography. On April 12 a group of about 150 IDF members clashed with police and stoned the editorial offices of the magazine. Despite this controversy, the edition quickly sold out. On 6 April 2007 the chief judge of the case dismissed the charges because they had been incorrectly filed.
In 1986, the American convenience store chain 7-Eleven removed the magazine from its stores. The store returned Playboy to its shelves in late 2003. Curiously, 7-Eleven stores had also been selling Penthouse and other, more extreme, magazines before the ban. In bookstores throughout the world, it is common for Playboy, as well as other adult publications, to be put on a higher shelf than other magazines, thus keeping them out of the reach of most children. They are also often wrapped in opaque plastic bags so as to not reveal the cover.
Playboy was not sold in the State of Queensland, Australia during 2004 and 2005 but has returned as of 2006. Furthermore, due to declining sales, the last edition of the Australian edition of "Playboy" published was the January 2000 issue.

Bans on the sale of Playboy
On the January 14, 2004, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s (PEI) trademark terms "Playboy" and "Playmate" should be protected even in Internet searches that prompt pop-up advertisements. The suit originally started on April 15, 1999, when Playboy sued Excite Inc. and Netscape for trademark infringement. Attorneys Barry Felder, Catherine McGrath and Matthew Moren represented Playboy.

Litigation
Many notable photographers have contributed work to Playboy, including Richard Fegley, William Figge, Arny Freytag, Ron Harris, David Mecey, Russ Meyer, Pompeo Posar, Suze Randall, Herb Ritts, Stephen Wayda, Sam Wu, and Bunny Yeager.

Photographers
During the 1960s and 1970s all PMOY's received pink automobiles, the hue of pink used was known as "Playmate Pink", the same shade as awarded to Mary Kay's independent sales force, a frequent source of confusion.

Photo editing

First Issue with two-page centerfold: February 1954 (Margaret Scott)
First issue with Leroy Neiman's Femlin: August 1955
First issue with a Playmate showing pubic hair: February 1956 (Marguerite Empey)
First issue with a three-page centerfold: March 1956 (Marian Stafford)
First issue with a Vargas girl: March 1957
First issue with two Playmates for Playmate of the Month: October 1958 (Pat Sheehan and Mara Corday)
First issue with Ian Fleming story: March 1960
First issue with Playboy Advisor column: September 1960
First issue with Playboy Interview: September 1962 (with Miles Davis)
First issue with an African-American centerfold: March 1965 (Jennifer Jackson)
First issue with Playboy 20Q: Cheryl Tiegs in October 1978 Firsts
For a full listing, please see:
Many celebrities (singers, actresses, models, etc.) have posed for Playboy over the years. This list is only a small portion of those who have posed. Some of them are:
FILM:
MUSIC:
SPORT:
TELEVISION:



List of people in Playboy 1953-1959, 1960-1969, 1970-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999, 2000-Present
Marilyn Monroe (December 1953)
Jayne Mansfield (February 1955)
Mara Corday (October 1958)
Ursula Andress (June 1965)
Carol Lynley (March 1965)
Kim Basinger (February 1983)
Janet Jones (March 1987)
Drew Barrymore (January 1995)
Daryl Hannah (November 2003)
Denise Richards (December 2004)
LaToya Jackson (March 1989/Nov 1991)
Fem2fem (December 1993)
Nancy Sinatra (May 1995)
Samantha Fox (October 1996)
Linda Brava (April 1998)
Belinda Carlisle (August 2001)
Tiffany (April 2002)
Carnie Wilson (August 2003)
Deborah Gibson (March 2005)
Willa Ford (March 2006)
Katarina Witt (December 1998)
Tanja Szewczenko (April 1999 German Edition)
Mia St. John (November 1999)
Joanie Laurer (November 2000 and January 2002)
Gabrielle Reece (January 2001)
Kiana Tom (May 2002)
Torrie Wilson (May 2003 and March 2004 (the latter with Sable))
Amy Acuff (September 2004)
Christy Hemme (April 2005)
Amanda Beard (July 2007)
Linda Evans (July 1971)
Shannen Doherty (March 1994 and December 2003)
Farrah Fawcett (December 1995 and July 1997)
Women of Baywatch (June 1998)
Claudia Christian (October 1999)
Shari Belafonte (September 2000)
Brooke Burke (May 2001 and November 2004)
Gena Lee Nolin (December 2001)
Rachel Hunter (April 2004)
Charisma Carpenter (June 2004) Celebrities
(starting at the accompanying date, or during the accompanying date range)

Argentina (1985 – 1995, 2006 – )
Australia (1979 – 2000) — see specific article
Brazil (1975 – ) — see specific article
Bulgaria (2002 – )
Croatia (1997 – )
Czech Republic (1991 – )
Estonia (2007 – )
Spain (1978 – )
Sweden (1998 – 1999)
Taiwan (1990 – 2003)
Turkey (1986 – 1995)
Ukraine (2005 – )
Venezuela (2006-) International editions
The success of Playboy magazine has led PEI to market other versions of the magazine, the Special Editions[2] (formerly called News Stand Specials), such as Playboy's College Girls

See also

Nick Stone, editor. The Bedside Playboy. Chicago: Playboy Press, 1963.
Jacob Dodd, editor. The Playboy Book: Forty Years. Santa Monica, California: General Publishing Group, 1994, ISBN 1-881649-03-2
Playboy: 50 Years, The Photographs. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2003, ISBN 0-8118-3978-8
Nick Stone, editor; Michelle Urry, cartoon editor. Playboy: 50 Years, The Cartoons. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2004. ISBN 0-8118-3976-1
Gretchen Edgren, editor. The Playboy Book: Fifty Years. Taschen, 1995. ISBN 3-8228-3976-0
G. Barry Golson, editor. The Playboy Interview. New York: Playboy Press, 1981. ISBN 0-87223-668-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-87223-644-7 (softcover)
G. Barry Golson, editor. The Playboy Interview Volume II. New York: Wideview/Perigee, 1983. ISBN 0-399-50768-X (hardcover), ISBN 0-399-50769-8 (softcover)
David Sheff, interviewer; G. Barry Golson, editor. The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: Playboy Press, 1981, ISBN 0-87223-705-2; 2000 edition, ISBN 0-312-25464-4
Stephen Randall, editor. "The Playboy Interview Book: They Played the Game". New York: M Press, 2006, ISBN 1-59582-046-9