games banned in greece?

[zulu9812]

everyone should sign the petition at www.gameland.gr

[Rasbelin]

Sorry, but there's no petition there.

Here's a brief list (2nd copy) on different activities.

Current petitions

Greek gaming community in danger
Greek Internet Cafe Union - Real life paranoia!

Feedback

gameland.gr

Post your thoughts regarding this law to the Greek Parliament. The law is "Proedriko Diatagma 174, Teyxos 1, 30 July 2002 'Apagoreush Paigniwn.' "

Hellenic parliament

[Lucarse]

Man i can't believe some one in this post actually said 'Euro Commies' anyway i'm not getting into yankie baiting.

ifyou read this you'll find its not quite as bad as all that

---------------------
Article 1
Game categories
---------------------
According to notion of the commands of the current law:
a. Mechanical games are those, for whose operation it is necessary to use muscle force.
b. Electrical games are those, for whose operation it is necessary to be dependent on electrical mechanisms.
c. Electromechanical games are those, for whose operation it is necessary to be dependent on electrical
mechanisms AND use muscle force.
d. Electronical games are those, for whose operation it is necessary to be dependent on electrical
mechanisms that also have some calculating (accounting) program.
e. Entertainment "technical" games are those, whose result depends exclusively on the ability and skill of the
player, and its use is solely for entertainment.

The Entertainment "technical" category also includes all card games which had been characterised as
"technical" games, according to the statement of law F.E.K A21.

only cat B and D games are banned, which would mean MS Excel is illegal??

[Thrawn05]

Originally posted by Lucarse
only cat B and D games are banned, which would mean MS Excel is illegal??

Then why the hell have a computer/latop/cell phone... hell, I'm guessing even CD players are next.

[:) Smiley]

a. Mechanical games are those, for whose operation it is necessary to use muscle force.

Wow, I'd love tobe able to play a computer game without using any muscles... don't have to worry about the health side effects!

[Nacht]

Since windows does include minesweeper and solitaire, is it now illegal in Greece?

[Adalbertus]

Hm. Don't know about the absurd ways of lawyer's thinking. Absurd physicist's thinking: Given the fact that there are no real random generators in most computers, you can, given the knowlegde about the algorithm and the skill to compute the random numbers quickly, predict all outcomes. Therefore, Computer games depends exclusively on the ability and skill of the player. Moreover, it is used solely for entertainment (ok, this is true for any game in my book). Thus, Civ is in category e, which is not banned. Case closed. Windows and Excel belong to d), because they are not solely for entertainment.

[pg]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2238242.stm

game over!

[IoT]

Aaah, it is to be selectively enforced. Fertile ground for the government to harass people at its whim with threats of prosecution. Added to that it fosters an unhealthy disregard for the law in general.

[Takeshi]

Well, let's look on the bright side. This is finally a good excuse to go back to the original board game.

[Proserpine]

I have just signed the petition at gameland.gr.

It occurs to me that every single copy of MS Windows in Greece is now illegal, as they contain solitaire, hearts etc. It is clearly also illegal to sell MS Windows. I bet Microsoft are pleased (not)!

According to the material I read, the legislators could not agree on a definition of electronic game which includes gambling games but excludes other types, so (the welfare of the few taking precedence over the happiness of the masses), they just banned everything. Didn't they consider the consequences? *** on!

[Proserpine]

Ooh. er first word censored by the machine.

[Proserpine]

There is a report that a Thessaloniki court has ruled the law unconstitutional.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/020911/4/d9ckj.html

Not being familiar with the Greek legal system I don't know what's likely to happen next. Possibilities:

- government appeals to a higher court
- govt tries another case using this law in a different court
- govt repeals the original law (& puts a more sensible one in place)
- nothing
- none of the above.

EDIT: And yes, I didn't see the heading "Greek Gamers Play On" when I logged on here. I just read the Yahoo article & immediately popped in here to post.

I am unclear why both the BBC and the Yahoo article describe the ruling as putting the courts "on a collision course" with the state. If the courts have powers to rule on constitutionality surely there is no collision course.

I believe Greece is a signatory of the ECHR, right? I can't believe anyone would take it that far though.

[MarkG]

It is clearly also illegal to sell MS Windows

not really.
selling game is ok. installing them and playing them is not

If the courts have powers to rule on constitutionality surely there is no collision course

if one thing is here and goes this way, and another is there and goes on the opposite, by definition they will collide

[Lefty Scaevola]

You want to get attention? Post a site for young and future greek voter who, because of this BS will never vote for that party again.