Venezuela bans violent video games and toys

Don · Mar 9, 2010

Story here.

The law prohibits “the manufacture, import, distribution, purchase, sale, rental, and use of violent toys and video games.”
...
1. Violent video games: Video games or programs that can be use on personal computers, arcade systems, video game consoles, portable devices or mobile telephones, or any other electronic or telephonic device, that contain information or images that promote or incite violence and the use of weapons.

2. Violent toys: Objects or instruments that in form mimic any kind of weapon used by the National Bolivarian Armed Forces, weapons of war used by any other nation, citizen or state security forces, as well as those that, though not promoting war, establish the kind of game that stimulates aggressiveness or violence.

No slap on the wrist, either.

Article 13. Those who in any way promote the purchase or use of violent toys or video games as defined by this law will be punished with a fine of between 2,000 and 4,000 tax units.

Article 14. Those who import, manufacture, sell, rent, or distribute violent toys or video games will be punished with 3 to 5 years in prison.

What say you?

Bartholomew · Mar 9, 2010

Well, Chavez is a dictator. Dictators usually do not tolerate free speech.

LOG · Mar 9, 2010

astonwest · Mar 9, 2010

Isn't it Venezuela that openly allows the propagation of all types of copyright-violating copies of books and such? Hmmmm...

Ruv Draba · Mar 9, 2010

It seems impractical to enforce, and I doubt that there's a case for social harm underpinning the ban.

I don't believe that my childhood was especially violent, but I had a tonne of toys that could be said to 'promote' violence, and most of them were improvised: wooden swords, home-made archery sets, Lego-sets that could construct fighting robots and ray-guns, slingshots... there's not much that a boy can't turn into weaponry if he chooses and it doesn't take video-games or shop-bought toys to inspire that. Just one rolicking tale of adventure is enough.

Cyia · Mar 9, 2010

So sticks are out then?

robeiae · Mar 9, 2010

What's a "tax unit"?

robeiae · Mar 9, 2010

Bartholomew said:
Well, Chavez is a dictator.

Sean Penn will have your @ss for that!

maxmordon · Mar 9, 2010

robeiae said:
What's a "tax unit"?

Since our currency is quite easily affected on devaluation, a tax unit is an imaginary quantity established by the government when it comes about to the people handling money to the government (either fines or taxes), currently, they are about 65 Bs. per tax unit. (No idea on current Bolivar/Dollar exchange, though.)

Zoombie · Mar 9, 2010

So, that's almost every single toy and video game ever made banned.

Have fun enforcing that.

robeiae · Mar 9, 2010

maxmordon said:
Since our currency is quite easily affected on devaluation, a tax unit is an imaginary quantity established by the government when it comes about to the people handling money to the government (either fines or taxes), currently, they are about 65 Bs. per tax unit. (No idea on current Bolivar/Dollar exchange, though.)

Yeah, I figured it was something along those lines. That's a swell system. It means the government can always increase revenues without raising taxes or fines. It can just change the standard.

maxmordon · Mar 9, 2010

People are wondering if this is going to apply to the Chávez dolls:

icerose · Mar 9, 2010

That's a pretty broad definition. No WOW, no LOTRO, no any MMORPG's really. That's like almost any toy or game ever sold. Are they going to fine the little boys who turn sticks into imaginary guns?

maxmordon · Mar 9, 2010

icerose said:
That's a pretty broad definition. No WOW, no LOTRO, no any MMORPG's really. That's like almost any toy or game ever sold. Are they going to fine the little boys who turn sticks into imaginary guns?

You can't legally play WOW nor buy Lindens from Second Life in Venezuela, since monetary exchange on foreign currency are limited through the government (one fills a form, waits a couple of months to see if the government accepts you buying Dollars/Euros/Etc. and there's a limit of 250 US$ per year.) making the use of PayPal illegal.

icerose · Mar 9, 2010

maxmordon said:
You can't legally play WOW nor buy Lindens from Second Life in Venezuela, since monetary exchange on foreign currency are limited through the government (one fills a form, waits a couple of months to see if the government accepts you buying Dollars/Euros/Etc. and there's a limit of 250 US$ per year.) making the use of PayPal illegal.

That's crazy. I had no idea. I thought currency exchange was pretty open. Apparently not. What do tourists do who need your currency? Is there an offical exchange place for them?

poetinahat · Mar 9, 2010

This is a Monty Python sketch waiting to happen.

maxmordon · Mar 9, 2010

icerose said:
That's crazy. I had no idea. I thought currency exchange was pretty open. Apparently not. What do tourists do who need your currency? Is there an offical exchange place for them?

Yes, CADIVI (Comisión de Administración de Divisas; Comission of Currency Administration); no idea what tourists do, but when Venezuelans go to outseas they have a limit on how much they can spend and can only use a state-approved credit card in which CADIVI pass you the bill in Bolivars, later. Can't remember how much is the limit, though.

This also applies to industry and importing, some industries have priority over others, books are not priority.

icerose · Mar 9, 2010

maxmordon said:
Yes, CADIVI (Comisión de Administración de Divisas; Comission of Currency Administration); no idea what tourists do, but when Venezuelans go to outseas they have a limit on how much they can spend and can only use a state-approved credit card in which CADIVI pass you the bill in Bolivars, later. Can't remember how much is the limit, though.

This also applies to industry and importing, some industries have priority over others, books are not priority.

That blows me away. Talk about a stranglehold. I can't even imagine living like that.

Ruv Draba · Mar 9, 2010

Thank you for this info, Maxmordon.

LOG · Mar 9, 2010

This is a good reminder of now matter how things bad may seem in my home country, it's still waaaaay better than a lot of other countries.

maxmordon · Mar 9, 2010

LOG said:
This is a good reminder of now matter how things bad may seem in my home country, it's still waaaaay better than a lot of other countries.

Not so much when you were born and raised in one of said "other countries".

LOG · Mar 9, 2010

maxmordon said:
Not so much when you were born and raised in one of said "other countries".

I was kind of referring to myself, not to the general population...

dgiharris · Mar 9, 2010

this is the slippery slope when you start passing laws to get people to do what you believe is 'right'.

Also, laws like this enable a lot of manipulation by the authorities. "Anything" can be construed as a violent toy.

Truth really is stranger than fiction. I don't mean to come across as a condescending American, but I feel for the people of Venezuela.

As an aside, does this law also encompass books and movies???

That seems like a hop, skip, and a jump away...

Mel...

GeorgeK · Mar 9, 2010

maxmordon said:
no idea what tourists do, but when Venezuelans go to outseas they have a limit on how much they can spend and can only use a state-approved credit card in which CADIVI pass you the bill in Bolivars, later. QUOTE]

Holy freaking ____!
so like you can't even buy fun?

Where is Dick Cheney when you need him? When God needed him? Why do I feel like this is just going way too far south? Now, what's with the south?

Oshodisa · Mar 10, 2010

Just for interest / perspective;

1 Venezuela Bolivares Fuertes = 0.15 pounds = 0.17 Euro = 0.23 Dollar

Therefore, 65 B's per tax unit * max tax fine of 4,000 TU's = 260,000 B's max fine;

260,000 B's = £40,475, EURO 44,401, & $60,465

ETA: if my maths is right!

Venezuela bans violent video games and toys

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