Question about Greek electronic game ban...

[Weird_AL_Einstein]

I’ve seen it asserted in other threads about this subject that this law will be struck down on appeal to an EU court. I am wondering how likely that actually is. Are there in fact any grounds on which a Greek citizen convicted under this law can appeal in an EU court? If so, what would be the likelyhood of success?

[casdave]

Although I have given it a cursory look, there does nto seem to be anything in the European Convention on Human rights that says anything directly but…

Somewhere there will be stated that every citizen has the right to enjoy their personal possessions except under very specific conditions such as incarceration.

There is bound to be some conflict on free trade within( ie the free movement of goods and services ) the EU as well, a nation state cannot simply ban a legal product because they cannot or will not enforce their own laws.

I would imagine that games software manufactures will argue that their product is legal and they bear no responsibility for offences that might be covered up(like contravention of gambling laws) by using it.

[Weird_AL_Einstein]

Originally posted by casdave *
**
Somewhere there will be stated that every citizen has the right to enjoy their personal possessions except under very specific conditions such as incarceration.*

I am highly skeptical of this. What if my “personal posessions” include a few grams of cocaine?

*Originally posted by casdave *
There is bound to be some conflict on free trade within( ie the free movement of goods and services ) the EU as well, a nation state cannot simply ban a legal product because they cannot or will not enforce their own laws.

I don’t understand this at all. If you “ban a legal product”, it becomes illegal. Do EU member states not have the power to ban things?

[Milton_De_La_Warre]

Some background information, please. Greece banned some kind of elcetronic games?

[World_Eater]

Here you go JC.

[Mr.Garrison]

I was just about to post that same link, World Eater, but you beat me to it. The punishment for the crime seems way too excessive (up to $75,000) for playing video games. I can’t believe they would keep foreign tourists in jail for this! Imagine being in jail for over a month and losing your job, just for playing a video game!

Its a good thing that the EU was created so that Greece could possibly be forced to drop the law. However, there are some in those countries who wish the EU was never created but that’s another topic…

[ObiWan]

The latest from BBC News:

A court in Greece has thrown out the case against two internet cafe owners accused of breaking a law banning computer games.

…

The ruling is the first of its kind in Greece and sets the courts on a collision course with the state.

…

The court, in its ruling, said the law was unconstitutional.

[smiling_bandit]

Apparently the Greeks meant for the law to apply only to electronic gambling, but wrote it so broadly as to ban most forms of interactive entertainment.

[rsa]

From the BBC link.

Greece’s gaming community has accused the government of taking the country back to the 1970s when individuals were arrested for playing cards at home.

Go Fish!

Go to jail!!!

[Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus]

What, cards were, or are, illegal? These people are really paranoid about gambling, aren’t they?

With regard to the “few grams of cocaine” mentioned above I wouldn’t be surprised if that does become legal in most European countries one day. I think in the end the U.S. will be the only country that arrests people for possessing drugs, just as you get whipped in some countries for drinking alcohol.