Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

May 12, 2009

We don't have many details on this one, but The Station Network reports that new legislation before the Parliament of tiny Luxembourg seeks to block sales of violent video games to minors:

New legislation was introduced through parliament yesterday meant to protect minors by punishing online sexual predators and violent video game makers...

“It's very bad that people make money by selling games where you can decapitate people to minors,” [Minister for Justice Luc] Frieden said. Those who provide games and movies that are too violent to young people will be condemned. Judges will determine the degree of violence.

While it is unclear what is driving the current legislative push, we note that Luxembourg is only a few hundred miles from Winnenden, Germany, the site of the horrific March 11th school shooting rampage.


Comments

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Yet again, people acting like the video game developers control who the retailers sell their games to.

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

So a child playing a violent video game is the equivilant of a child being sexually molested? These legislators are absolutly retarded. If anything i find politicans to be just as harmful to children as child molesters are. They are the ones finacially selling out their futures as well as trying to regress and infantilize them by protecting them from things they neither want nor need protection from.

 "No law means no law" - Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black on the First Amendment

"No law means no law" - Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black on the First Amendment

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

I'd rather say that Luxemburg is way too close to France, were another shameless populist is trying to prove that he is "the man" by solving social issues with more idiotic laws, bans and more violence.

ZAR.

 

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Nah, luxembourg is closer to Belgium, and we don't event have a government here or do we?

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Even if they do pass the law, it will be confusing how they will enforce it.

Politicians should grow a brain sometimes, and understand that they can't be like little kids and think that if they pass some law, it would suddenly be fine again.

And I am talking about doing the hard things, sometimes the things that don't win you votes, like going on TV and letting parents know that there is something called a PEGI system and it informs them of what it suitable for what age.

 

But then again, many politicians have never grown up with the internet or even the Videogame Rating System, so it is obvious where those opinions are coming from. -_-

 

No matter what law is passed, it will never work unless if they understand that there is nothing more they can do much less than just inform parents about better internet strategies.

 

TBoneTony

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Well, this is Luxembourg we're talking about. This was the speedbump before France during WWII.

 

 

Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

Pinky: "I think so, Brain, but we're already naked."

Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?" Pinky: "I think so, Brain, but we're already naked."

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Got to love how in the quote it seems like they're placing sexual predators and people who sell violent video games to minors on the same level.

Yup, those retailors are on the same level as child molestors.

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

That was essentially what Oklahoma did, short of adding them to the sex offendors list. Good thing it was shot down in court.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

That's like saying Pedobear runs Blockbuster!

==========================================================

We're all outta PIE! and adult comic books! and i've misplaced my Turbografix!!!

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

I imagine that many of the 352 minors who actually live in Luxenbourg aren't happy about this development. If the legislation passes, they'll have to walk the 5 minutes into France or Germany to purchase their violent video games. Bummer, dude.  

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Since Germany and France have the same legislation (meaning its illegal to sell a game game rated x to a person of the age of x-y), they can't. They can try, of course, but they could also try in Luxembourg.

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Huh? Violent games aren't rated as X games in France. Besides of that they just can walk in Belgium and get their games there (and we have the games earlier than the other european countries ^^).

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

X is just meant as a methematical variable here, it could mean 18, 16, 12, or whatever.

You do have an enforcable rating system in France, right? Might even be PEGI.

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Indeed. Hilarious that somewhere barely a quarter of the size of Wales counts as a 'country'

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Luxembourg has always been a non-entity on the European scene really. Sounds like what they are aiming for a legally-enforceable ratings system like the BBFC has over here.

Omitted from the write-up here though, was this little gem:

"Luxembourg's Minister for Justice, Luc Frieden, said too many people abuse the Internet, and the online community cannot be one without laws.

The legislation will make it illegal for an adult to make proposals of a sexual nature to minors younger than 16 via new technology. This includes inappropriate texts written while chatting online. Perpetrators can face the same consequences as those who visit child pornography sites –imprisonment and heavy fines. Minors will also be protected against violence online, according to the legislation. 
"

As always, I'd LOVE to see how they propose to do this. Supposing the predator is in another country?

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

 Supposing? Given the size of Luxembourg, it would be an amazing coincidence, if he wasn't.

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Maybe we're looking at this wrong way? Maybe a large concentration of predators LIVE in Lux, and prey on surrounding countries children.

--------------------------------------------------

I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

-------------------------------------------------- I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

Gives a whole new meaning to "Belgian waffle."

---
The Mammon Philosophy

---
Fangamer

Re: Luxembourg Legislates Against Violent Games

As Luxembourg is part of the EU this can easily be enforced (given you know the IP of the "predator") in at least 26 other states, plus in every country the EU or Luxembourg have Legal Assistance Agreements with, so probably a lot.

 
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