Venezuela’s new anti-violent video game law just recently went into effect, an opportunity for those who import or sell violent video games (and toys) a chance to pay a hefty fine and spend 3-5 years in prison.
Gamesthirst and La Gaceta help the potentially violent video gamer better understand Ley para la Prohibición de Videojuegos Bélicos y Juguetes Bélicos, Venezuela’s anti-violent game legislation that was proposed last summer and went into effect earlier this month.
Basically, the law says that those who “import, manufacture, sell, rent or distribute violent toys or video games” – games with “information or images that promote or incite violence and the use of weapons” – can land them in prison for up to five years. Those guilty of promoting such games carry a fine between 2000 and 4000 tax units.
Venezuelan Gamers Could Face 3-5 Years In Prison For Importing “Violent Videogames” [Gamesthirst]
warcroft
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 8:34 AMGreat. . . Atkinson will get some new ideas.
Dean
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 9:31 AMI don’t think something like this would stand in Australia. If I were convicted of this, I’d take it to the High Court and get the law overturned, then I’d turn around sue any politician who had anything to do with passing such a ridiculous law.
Can you launch a class action on behalf of every person in the country for politicians wasting tax-payer money?
greg
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 10:31 AMi dont think so if you could id have steven conroy (a-hole who is setting up internet censorship) doing a stretch for wasting 17 million dollars trying to sell the NBN
sam
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 10:48 AMBut what is violence really?
Rob
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 10:48 AMMaybe Atkinson can retire to Venezuela when he retires from politics?
I hear Conroy plans to purchase holiday homes in Iran, Burma, North Korea and China – as he admires their internet filters so much.
glennc
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 1:27 PMit is completely understandable for the country with the most gun deaths in the world implement this. whether it does any good is another story, but it’s a start. there are something like 6 million guns in the coutry with only slightly more population than australia and it is supposed to be illegal to buy a gun unless you’re a cop. who needs gun games when you can have the real thing?
lcb
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 2:36 PMChavez links vidjagaemsz with violence because he is a politician and needed to keep the heat off himself. Nothing is his fault it is always someone elses. By illegalizing videogames, which are seen as an american product, he gets to villanize the gringos even further which is his plan.
The state that his brother runs has one of the highest kidnapping indicies in the world, why is this? Well they both said people are kidnapping themselves to make him look bad.
so you see, videogames arent at fault :D.
Justin Robson
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 5:21 PMSure, and I’m 100% positive violence will cease to exist in Venezuela thanks to this kind of forward, modern thinking.
Needs A New Username
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 7:04 PMWhat is a violent toy excatly? Nerf guns?
Goraxium
Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 11:26 PMDoes jumping on Goombas in Mario count as violence?
In any case, when this goes on for a few years and the violence levels don’t get affected, it’ll be a nice way to prove violent games don’t make violent people.
08Sonic
Monday, March 15, 2010 at 3:17 PMNO QUEREMOS LA LEY, LA LEY ES ESTUPIDA Y NO ENCARCELA A LOS DELINCUENTES. La ley es un capricho del gobierno porque quieren cubanizarnos. Chavez odia los videojuegos, inclusive los infantiles.
08Sonic
Monday, March 15, 2010 at 3:20 PMY LA LEY VIOLA LA CONSTITUCION, LA LIBRE PERSONALIDAD ES DE GRADO CONSTITUCIONAL Y NINGUNA LEY PUEDE ELIMINAR LA LIBRE PERSONALIDAD.