An update
In Greece, use a Game Boy, go to jail
By Matt Loney and Rupert Goodwins
Staff Writers, CNET News.com
September 3, 2002, 11:18 AM PT
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-956357.html?tag=fd_top
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.
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Greeks fight computer game ban
Thursday, 5 September, 2002, 10:12 GMT 11:12 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2238242.stm
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"Theoretically the police can arrest you if you are using your PC for playing games or if your employer catches you playing chess or backgammon on Yahoo," said a statement from the Greek Internet Cafι Union which is fighting the ban.
Officials have told the BBC that even though the law bans the playing of games on PCs and consoles at home it will only be pursuing gamers who flout it in public places such as internet cafes.
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The first case of its kind will come before the Greek courts next week following the arrest of two people who allowed gamers to play the popular online game, Counter-Strike.
They face fines of 150,000 euros (£95,000) and up to 12 months imprisonment.
"The whole matter could remain in the sphere of comedy if it didn't concern directly the employment of thousands of people," said the Greek Internet Cafι Union.
"In China they prohibit access to political sites, in some other countries prevent connection to sites of sexual content and in Greece it is illegal to use personal computers and games consoles for playing games," it continued.
If the letter of the law is enforced, the union said the next stage would be to ban the selling of games and legal action against Microsoft to remove games from the Greek version of Windows.
But officials say they have no plans to ban the import of consoles or to take legal action against Microsoft's operating system.
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