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Greece to Face European Court Of Justice
The European Court of Justice will now review legislation introduced to Greece two years ago that made all electronic games illegal, according to Funworld Ag which filed complaints immediately once the law was passed. Funworld Ag said the Greek parliament's ruling deprived an entire branch of the entertainment industry of its market, causing the subsequent unemployment of thousands of people. When the law was passed on 16 July 2002, Funworld Ag's Photo Play partner, JVH Hellas S.A lodged a home market complaint while Funworld Ag initiated the transmission of the complaint to the European Commission. As a result, the European Commission has called Greece before the European court of justice to account for the prohibition "to install or operate electric, electromechanical and electronic games, including computer games, in public or private areas, including rooms providing Internet services (Cyber cafes)."
The Commission also said, "the Greek act from 29 July 2002 is not compatible with the EC contract's rules for open trade and service as well as the liberty of setting up a business." Funworld Ag CEO Josef Öhlinger - pictured - said, "The commission regards the Greek regulation as disproportionate because it does not solely refer to games of chance and the corresponding terminals, which are of course dubious socially, but because it also takes in all other kinds of games including mobile phone games and our own Positive Games." Funworld Ag has engaged in its unmistakable 'Positive Games' philosophy since 1998, which totally rejects violence, pornography and games of chance. The Photo Play innovative games terminals are currently represented in 46 countries all over the world with this successful 'Positive Games' concept. Annually 30 million young people play almost 1.2 thousand million 'Positive Games'. 1.5 million Greek Photo Play players were affected by the country's change of regulations.
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