German gouvernment plans tax on computers

[Peter Heinemann]

To give you an impression of how stupid german politicians are (like banning Doom would not be enough):
German government plans an extra tax for every new sold computer equipment.
Just to increase the costs for future technology.

I know this is not Doom related, but maybe it is interesting how ignorant german politics are.

[stphrz]

I have a question. I know that Doom2 is banned in Germany, but what about Ultimate Doom? There are no swastikas or other Nazi symbols in that game. About the special tax on computers, I take it is over and above any regular sales tax correct? If so, you are right. That is just about the stupidest thing I have ever heard. It might even be illegal under German law or violate trade agreements with other countries.

[fodders]

As far as I remember doom2 wasnt banned , a different release was issued in Germany without the secret wolfen levels?

[Guest JarJar]

I don't know why Germany would ban a game because it had a swatstika in it. They are trying to get rid of the Nazi symbolism in their country, so by banning it, they still think it is associated with their country. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I think they should be glad that people still want to kill Nazi's.

[Peter Heinemann]

Stphrz said:

I have a question. I know that Doom2 is banned in Germany, but what about Ultimate Doom? There are no swastikas or other Nazi symbols in that game. About the special tax on computers, I take it is over and above any regular sales tax correct? If so, you are right. That is just about the stupidest thing I have ever heard. It might even be illegal under German law or violate trade agreements with other countries.

All id-games are banned in Germany, even the t-shirts and merchandizes. Banned means not that people over 18 years cannot have it, but marketing for those games is forbidden. Game sellers use to use altered names for the games, replacing some chars by "X", so gamers can still easily identify the games they are looking for. For example "DOOM" = "DXXM" or "QUAKE" = "QXXXE". Sending those games by postal service needs adult check before (but most do without) or is forbidden, I do not know.

The tax: We already have a "tax" (or duty or burden), that is taken on the price of new to buy flatbed-scanners as compensation for the copyright-fees of authors, whose work is scanned with that scanner. When you buy a scanner, that fee is already included within the price and goes to a kind of trust which is responsible for the representation of the author´s claims, called "GEMA". Just a few Deutschmark, but... Regular tax goes extra.
The new to come duty will be that sort, people have already protested against it. Maybe they will dump the stupid idea.

[Peter Heinemann]

fodders said:

As far as I remember doom2 wasnt banned , a different release was issued in Germany without the secret wolfen levels?

Yes, there was a release without the Wolfenstein levels, but even that version is not allowed to be sold to minors (under 18 years of age). Most seller does not care and sell over the phone. Things only get harder if you buy banned games on US-ebay (where you can get nearly everything) and than have to pick it up from the tax-office. I have had bad experiences, even though I am not a minor. And in schools Doom t-shirts could be a real problem, too.

[Guest destROYer]

JarJar said:

I don't know why Germany would ban a game because it had a swatstika in it. They are trying to get rid of the Nazi symbolism in their country, so by banning it, they still think it is associated with their country. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I think they should be glad that people still want to kill Nazi's.

good poiont jar jar.

if it was banned in new zealand i would just warez it and send id some more money......

[Grul]

They plan a pretty stupid fee in Sweden as well. In Sweden, we have two non-commercial national channels that are funded through a fee that all who has a TV must pay. Since you are able to watch TV on your computer through broadband, they plan on taking out an additional fee on those who have broadband. It is just one funny little thing: Those two channels do not broadcast over the internet... :)

[KING ELVIS]

V-E-R-R-Ü-C-K-T !

What about a "Per-Byte" tax for internet use ?

[Quasar]

JarJar said:

I don't know why Germany would ban a game because it had a swatstika in it. They are trying to get rid of the Nazi symbolism in their country, so by banning it, they still think it is associated with their country. That doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I think they should be glad that people still want to kill Nazi's.

The German government bans and censors many violent things, including console games. Look at the hack job that Konami had to do to the Euro version of Castlevania: Bloodlines to be able to sell it in Germany. I've heard a lot of European gamers griping that the German government ruins it for everyone over there, because the game companies only want to put out one version for the whole continent, and as such, that version must be compliant with the German standards.

You'd think that after experiences like World War II, European governments wouldn't be interested in such fascism.