Greece sees sense

Posted on 12 Sep 2002 at 14:10

It may only be a temporary victory, but the case of the two internet caf?wners arrested for shamelessly playing Counter-Strike in public has been roundly dismissed by a Greek court.

It may only be a temporary victory, but the case of the two internet caf?wners arrested for shamelessly playing Counter-Strike in public has been roundly dismissed by a Greek court.

Calling the arrest both unconstitutional and an affront to basic human rights, the result was widely cheered by a 300-strong protest group gathered outside the Thessaloniki courthouse. Campaigners have been protesting about the restrictions to freedom on the Internet, accusing the Greek government of resorting to archaic legislature akin to the 1970s when playing with cards at home was outlawed.

'We are completely satisfied,' said Dimitris Karanassios, spokesman for the Greek Internet Caf?wners union. 'All those who supported this case from the beginning are vindicated,' he cheered. So now it's official. Playing Counter-Strike is a basic human right!

It's not all good news for games playing legal eagles though. While Greece appears to be loosening its grip on the games players of the world, the UK is getting harder. A man was arrested and sentenced to four months in pokey for daring to play Tetris.

Okay, he was playing it on a mobile phone while on board a flight to Manchester from Egypt at the time, refusing to turn it off despite the dangers mobile phone use poses to the sensitive aircraft landing equipment. Faiz Chopdat was returning to the UK from his honeymoon at the time.

Author: Paul Pressley