Greece bans all video games - GoFuckYourself.com

Dreamman010 · 09-11-2002, 08:23 PM

Reading this article, I thought that I am in the 16th century:

In Greece, playing a shoot-'em-up video game could land you in jail.
The Greek government has banned all electronic games across the country, including those that run on home computers, on Game Boy-style portable consoles, and on mobile phones. Thousands of tourists in Greece are unknowingly facing heavy fines or long terms in prison for owning mobile phones or portable video games.

Greek Law Number 3037, enacted at the end of July, explicitly forbids electronic games with "electronic mechanisms and software" from public and private places, and people have already been fined tens of thousands of dollars for playing or owning games.

The law applies equally to visitors from abroad: "If you know these things are banned, you should not bring them in," said a commercial attaché at the Greek Embassy in London, who declined to give her name.

Internet cafes will be allowed to continue to operate, providing no games-playing takes place. If a customer is found to be running any sort of game, including online chess, the cafe owner will be fined and the place closed.

The Greek government introduced the law in an attempt to prevent illegal gambling. According to a report in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Greek police will be responsible for catching offenders, who will face fines of 5,000 to 75,000 euros (about $4,980 to $74,650) and imprisonment of one to 12 months. "The blanket ban was decided in February after the government admitted it was incapable of distinguishing innocuous video games from illegal gambling machines," the report said.

The Greek gaming community has reacted with a mixture of shock, disbelief and anger. One Web site, www.gameland.gr, has started a news service about the ban and opened a petition to protest it. In addition, it is posting English translations of the law and messages of support from around the world.

A test case is to come before the Greek courts next week, and the Greek gaming community is already planning protests in the event that the defendant is convicted.

"We are trying to organize a protest against this law," said Petros Tipis of Thessaloniki-based gaming company Reload Entertainment, which has had to cancel a gaming tournament that was to be held this week.

If the prosecution of the defendant next week is successful, said Tipis, the Greek gaming industry will take the case to the European Court.

In the meantime, Tipis told ZDNet UK, a lot of people in Greece are very worried about the new law. "They are taking it very seriously," he said. "It even affects the games that come with Windows. This law isn't the right one," he added. "It is unfair. It was introduced too quickly."

Reload's tournament, which was to be held Fridah, was a qualifier for the CPL Oslo 2002 gaming tournament. "Now we are trying not to lose the two slots we were given from CPL for the tournament," Tipis said. "This was the first time for a qualifier (for this tournament) in Greece."

Article address: http://news.com.com/2100-1040-956357.html?tag=fd_top

Sly_RJ · 09-11-2002, 08:29 PM

Yeh, fuck the United States!

Stealthy · 09-11-2002, 08:32 PM

I'm speechless. ME, speechless! That is the most asinine, ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Banning ALL video games and electronic devices because the Government is too stupid to distinguish between gambling and entertainment?

Ok maybe I'm not so speechless. That's fucked up man! I mean, if a businessman is travelling to Greece and his fucking LIFELINE is his cell phone and the government were to take it away from him and fine him because it has a built-in blackjack game, can we say LAWSUIT? I seriously don't think that the Grecian government really thought this out, do they have ANY idea what this "law" is going to do to their tourism trade? If they have one iota of intelligence they will either revise the law or abolish it altogether and start over. That's like putting a ban on pencils because they can be used as a weapon, totally ludicrous!

Speaking of Greece,

Q: What do you call a Greek "Gentleman?"
A: A guy who will take a girl on at least 3 dates before he tries to fuck her younger brother...

DTK · 09-11-2002, 08:35 PM

This was pretty hard to believe, but then I saw it on the Kathimerini (big greek newspaper) website.

Soul Rebel - your thoughts on this?

Lev · 09-11-2002, 08:38 PM

I know Greece will be out from my list of places to visit

Marcus · 09-11-2002, 08:42 PM

what about video games that are built into OS's?

Are they going to make microsoft come out with a version of windows that has no games on it just for Greece?

SpeakEasy · 09-11-2002, 08:49 PM

There govt is Fucked up

d0se · 09-11-2002, 08:51 PM

I just read that another Greek court ruled that law unconstitutional... and it was video games in public anyway not ALL games...

Theo · 09-11-2002, 09:13 PM

The law in few words was stupid written in an attempt to regulate all gambling activities which are not monitoring by the state. It was about computer games and the prohibition it was supposed to cover only all kind of slots.

Personally I heard of it from friends not living here when they sent me icq messages with the article from cnet. It was really hard to believe that this could happen because it requires a remarkable degree of stupidity to succeed something like that and having in mind it's a period closes to elections I was near sure nobody would do such a huge mistake. I was wrong.

Two days ago a court considered the law unconstitutional and turned it to inactive. Every citizen has the right to turn any law that he considers against constitutional to a court and within a day or two the court can turn the law to inactive.

09-11-2002, 08:23 PM	#1
Dreamman010 Confirmed User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Toronto, ON, Canada Posts: 1,081	Greece bans all video games Reading this article, I thought that I am in the 16th century: In Greece, playing a shoot-'em-up video game could land you in jail. The Greek government has banned all electronic games across the country, including those that run on home computers, on Game Boy-style portable consoles, and on mobile phones. Thousands of tourists in Greece are unknowingly facing heavy fines or long terms in prison for owning mobile phones or portable video games. Greek Law Number 3037, enacted at the end of July, explicitly forbids electronic games with "electronic mechanisms and software" from public and private places, and people have already been fined tens of thousands of dollars for playing or owning games. The law applies equally to visitors from abroad: "If you know these things are banned, you should not bring them in," said a commercial attaché at the Greek Embassy in London, who declined to give her name. Internet cafes will be allowed to continue to operate, providing no games-playing takes place. If a customer is found to be running any sort of game, including online chess, the cafe owner will be fined and the place closed. The Greek government introduced the law in an attempt to prevent illegal gambling. According to a report in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Greek police will be responsible for catching offenders, who will face fines of 5,000 to 75,000 euros (about $4,980 to $74,650) and imprisonment of one to 12 months. "The blanket ban was decided in February after the government admitted it was incapable of distinguishing innocuous video games from illegal gambling machines," the report said. The Greek gaming community has reacted with a mixture of shock, disbelief and anger. One Web site, www.gameland.gr, has started a news service about the ban and opened a petition to protest it. In addition, it is posting English translations of the law and messages of support from around the world. A test case is to come before the Greek courts next week, and the Greek gaming community is already planning protests in the event that the defendant is convicted. "We are trying to organize a protest against this law," said Petros Tipis of Thessaloniki-based gaming company Reload Entertainment, which has had to cancel a gaming tournament that was to be held this week. If the prosecution of the defendant next week is successful, said Tipis, the Greek gaming industry will take the case to the European Court. In the meantime, Tipis told ZDNet UK, a lot of people in Greece are very worried about the new law. "They are taking it very seriously," he said. "It even affects the games that come with Windows. This law isn't the right one," he added. "It is unfair. It was introduced too quickly." Reload's tournament, which was to be held Fridah, was a qualifier for the CPL Oslo 2002 gaming tournament. "Now we are trying not to lose the two slots we were given from CPL for the tournament," Tipis said. "This was the first time for a qualifier (for this tournament) in Greece." Article address: http://news.com.com/2100-1040-956357.html?tag=fd_top __________________ <a href="http://www2.famoushost.com/home.php" target="_blank"><b><FONT COLOR="FFFF00">www.FamousHost.com</font></b></a><br>Free Hosting With No Headers, Real FTP, <u>Get listed on the biggest TGP's with us!</u>

09-11-2002, 08:29 PM	#2
Sly_RJ Live Hard - Die Hard Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Ready to leave... Posts: 17,042	Yeh, fuck the United States! __________________ PHAT SERVERS - Quality dedicated hosting at a quality price! sly AT phatservers DOT com - 147479144

09-11-2002, 08:32 PM	#3
Stealthy Confirmed User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: You know that voice inside your head? That's me... Posts: 626	I'm speechless. ME, speechless! That is the most asinine, ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Banning ALL video games and electronic devices because the Government is too stupid to distinguish between gambling and entertainment? Ok maybe I'm not so speechless. That's fucked up man! I mean, if a businessman is travelling to Greece and his fucking LIFELINE is his cell phone and the government were to take it away from him and fine him because it has a built-in blackjack game, can we say LAWSUIT? I seriously don't think that the Grecian government really thought this out, do they have ANY idea what this "law" is going to do to their tourism trade? If they have one iota of intelligence they will either revise the law or abolish it altogether and start over. That's like putting a ban on pencils because they can be used as a weapon, totally ludicrous! Speaking of Greece, Q: What do you call a Greek "Gentleman?" A: A guy who will take a girl on at least 3 dates before he tries to fuck her younger brother... __________________ <embed src=http://www.moonshadow-productions.com/images/moon.swf width="120" height=60> Last edited by Stealthy; 09-11-2002 at 08:43 PM..

09-11-2002, 08:35 PM	#4
DTK Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: The 510 Posts: 4,545	This was pretty hard to believe, but then I saw it on the Kathimerini (big greek newspaper) website. Soul Rebel - your thoughts on this? __________________ Arguing whether the Democratic or Republican party is better is like debating which steaming pile of shit is slightly less stinky.

09-11-2002, 08:38 PM	#5
Lev Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 3,545	I know Greece will be out from my list of places to visit

09-11-2002, 08:42 PM	#6
Marcus Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,472	what about video games that are built into OS's? Are they going to make microsoft come out with a version of windows that has no games on it just for Greece?

09-11-2002, 08:49 PM	#7
SpeakEasy Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: The Internet Posts: 2,681	There govt is Fucked up

09-11-2002, 08:51 PM	#8
d0se Confirmed User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Western Australia Posts: 1,225	I just read that another Greek court ruled that law unconstitutional... and it was video games in public anyway not ALL games...

09-11-2002, 09:13 PM	#9
Theo HAL 9000 Industry Role: Join Date: May 2001 Posts: 34,515	The law in few words was stupid written in an attempt to regulate all gambling activities which are not monitoring by the state. It was about computer games and the prohibition it was supposed to cover only all kind of slots. Personally I heard of it from friends not living here when they sent me icq messages with the article from cnet. It was really hard to believe that this could happen because it requires a remarkable degree of stupidity to succeed something like that and having in mind it's a period closes to elections I was near sure nobody would do such a huge mistake. I was wrong. Two days ago a court considered the law unconstitutional and turned it to inactive. Every citizen has the right to turn any law that he considers against constitutional to a court and within a day or two the court can turn the law to inactive.