Help Request: Forbidden Symbols in Computer Games

[Royal_Blackwatch 0]

Hello everyone

I'm currently writing a scientific documentation about 'Forbidden Symbols in Computer Games' for University. As I'd like to give it an international point of View, I'm therefore putting a help request here.

If you're aware of symbols (like e.g. the Swastika in Germany) which aren't allowed to show in public in your country and therefore are forbidden in Games, I would highly appreciate if you could give me a hint (maybe a link to the according law) to it.

Intel about German Laws isn't neccessary as thats where I'm from and I'm already aware of the situation.

If you're willing to help me out please PM me or Post here but please stick to the Topic as I don't intend to start a political discussion here.

Thanks in advance for the help and merry Christmas...:bounce3:

[Bulldogs 10]

The German one is the only symbol I can think of, but there are other things like world of Warcraft in china isn't allowed to show red blood or bones on skeletons, and many other things.

[Uziyahu--IDF 0]

Battleground Europe is a game that doesn't display Swastikas for even its non-German versions.

[vilas 477]

hi

as you prepare such thesis for university, something from me:

if you ask about "direct law regulation" - there is no such regulation in my country as i know, but...

but remember that law regulation can be in dependence of other regulations

for example in my country there is forbidden to spread communism and nazism/fascism

so if someone will find that something spreads it - he can notice prosecutor office

the same goes to protecting religious belief symbols

there is a law about "not demeaning religious symbols"

so if movie, journalist, game, whatever makes someone think his belief was defaced he can notify prosecutor office

if you do work for university about many countries - it is from Poland

KODEKS KARNY

ART. 196:

Kto obraża uczucia religijne innych osób, znieważając publicznie przedmiot czci religijnej, lub miejsce przeznaczone do publicznego wykonywania obrzędów religijnych, podlega grzywnie, karze ograniczenia wolności albo pozbawienia wolności do lat 2.

punishment codex: one who deface beliefs of other people, publicly defacing religious symbol or place can get 2 years in prison or fine

Art. 256. Kto publicznie propaguje faszystowski lub inny totalitarny ustrój państwa lub nawołuje... .

punisment codex : one who on public want spread nazi or totalitarian or communist or racist parties cannot exist

ones who call ethnic, racial , religious violence can get 2 years in prison or fine

____________________________

there are in Poland parties that in parliament (make law) want forbid using nazi symbols

but not yet made

but also we can divide "historical realism" from "skinheads" using something

but it is always hard to judge , cause some nazi skins want use nazi symbols saying they are historical reenactors - there is a problem

it is really hard to make such law because some people (opposite to those who wanna forbid) believe in misuse of such regulation)

i don't work in prison system , so i cannot tell how many people were punished for walking with swastika

for violence acts there were skinheads arrested, but our law a.t.m. not see problem, cause in Poland people like this there are below 1% and they are more treated like insane so it is not a "problem" at the moment, most of them operate from outside (other countries, US servers, famous infamous "red watch" who published list of punk-rockers to be killed on US servers - thats why cannot be punished here in PL, cause our law cannot touch USA servers etc.)

i don't know if you ever heard about "red watch" - nazis put list of "people to be killed, enemies of white race" on US servers

and about that situation our gov. tries helpless make US to react and vanish website

____________________________

to forbid something in game - it should be found by prosecutor office and judge

so there is no strict regulation about PC games, but there are regulations about "in general" activity (movie, games, public life, whatever)

but it must be first put to prosecutor/court

if you really really need data - i can ask Ministry of Internal Affairs about "how many cases of people punished for spreading..." etc.

but if you do simple thesis about this - i hope i helped

assuming:

there is no strict regulation about games (one of media activities), there are general regulation about public life, so include also media and spreading national/race hate is forbidden even by 2 years imprisonment

so it is indirectly regulated but yet not misused for historical realism

Edited December 27, 2009 by vilas

[Royal_Blackwatch 0]

Thanks for your help Vilas.

The information you provided is absoltely enough, as it is my intention just to give an overview about countries having such regulations and a rough estimation about how strict this topic is handled - so you don't have to ask your Ministry of Internal Affairs.