No, this law is only meant to deal with actual nazi propaganda material, not to target artworks, satire and historical documentation, all of which are excluded from persecution. The issue arises from the fact that these laws were made before videogames existed and noone cared to define them as art and add them to the list. If a videogame is banned because of swastikas, it's not because someone made a law against swastikas in videogames, but because of people slavishly interpreting an outdated law to the letter, and they probably see nothing wrong with it if they're biased against videogames to start with (as is the majority of people who don't play them).

Frankly, a lot of problems with the German law system seem to be connected to outdated laws and loopholes that are exploited by third parties, with noone taking enough interest to fix this, as the priorities of most politicians are elsewhere.

It's fine to glorify nazis in German television, as long as it supposedly is a documentary (here's looking at you, n-tv and N24) or portray them for entertainment or whatever. It's forbidden to portray nazis at all in videogames, at least if you want to use their historical insignia.

To make clear what I mean, THIS is perfectly fine for entertainment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPyUzaq8CbI

This nazi glorification is perfectly fine as a documentation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0U3gvuRQs4

THIS (left side) is not because it is a video game:
http://www.schnittberichte.com/schnittbericht.php?ID=4013

DRM has always been a restriction after sale. You thinking about this the wrong way. It's restriction after sale because once you buy the electronic good (movies, games, ect) they want to restrict you with DRM so that you can not copy the game and illegally provide it to other people via handing it out, the internet, ect, It's NOT necessarily to keep people who have not payed from playing it, it is stop legal consumers who have paid from giving it to people who have not payed. Once the DRM is broken, it can not keep those who have no paid from playing it because there is no DRM to stop them.

This is why DRM effects the legal consumer who has payed more than anyone who has not... and this is why it's a restriction AFTER SALE. Even if this wasn't true, a website is not an electronic good, DRM has never applied to a website. So long as the game itself has no physical restrictions within it's software, then one can argue it's DRM free.

i try to say it as simple, as I am able to:

German censorship is WORSE than DRM.

So there is no use buying DRM free censored games. I do not understand, why they fight DRM, but shy away from these censoring laws.

As german gamer, my decision is very simple: If it is censored, I do not buy it. These unfair "adult" censorship laws in germany are the reason, I had to use VPN, to circumvent these silly restrictions. The best thing is, these laws are for MINORS, but shops like steam are not able to sell games to adults, because they are not able to tell, who is a minor, and who is an adult.

So GOG, do not make the same mistake. Delete the german website and forums at once, or use austria laws. Or let ME simply use the US version, as you did in the past. If you look into my account, you can claerly see, that I use only english versions. Mostly because I really hate the crappy translations.

I get your point, but let's be honest - it's never that easy, isn't it?

I will tell you something about me, if you don't mind:
I was a Punk for several years. All nice and well, only someday in my late twenties, I decided, if I don't want to end up in the gutter, I have to change some things (find a job, etc.)

So, what did I do?
Well, I became a Skinhead - it was the most logical consequence - I could still listen to the bands I love, I could still go to concerts, hang around with my mates...nothing really changed, apart of my look.

And, believe me - a neat shorthaired look, dressed in clean jeans and a shirt, makes a huge difference compared to a mowhawk in holey jeans and a edding-painted leatherjacket, when it comes to finding a job.

However, I quickly noticed something: lots of people (the most, as a matter of fact) saw me and thought :"This is a Nazi".

Which is complete BS, but there you have it - people are going for stereotypes, and me - wearing Docs, the jeans rolled up and braces over my shirt, was THE stereotype of a Nazi (according to our media).

The thing is: I was never a Nazi, nor am I one, now - but your appearance dictates, how other people think of you.

However, when you look at some of the most radical Neo-Nazis here in Germany, they mostly look like your average guy from next door - no shortcropped hair, no boots, no braces.

The Nazi hides behind a civil facade - but most people only see that facade, not the inside.

What I want to say with this too-long rant is: maybe the ones bearing the Stars & Bars aren't your biggest problem?
Maybe some (heck, maybe most) of those who want to fly the flag, really aren't racists?

Though, I will admit, flying a flag that stands (in the minds of most of the people) for a society, in which owning slaves was absolutely fine and harassing, beating and murdering of a great part of said society was "normal", well, yeah, see...that's why I think about the political ideas of people, whenever I see 'em flying the Confederate Flag here in Germany. ;)

OT, but speaking of Germany, my dad just cooked up this big ass pot of sauerkraut. HOW DO YOU PEOPLE EAT THAT SHIT!?

He's downstairs right now shoveling it in and I'm on Ancestry.com trying to find proof I'm adopted.

We don't, we just sell it to tourists. ;)

Then restriction before sale is non existant? You mean I don't need to pay and can get access to all game download on GOG website?

I'm not saying that's not a restriction... I'm saying it's not a DRM restriction. One does not = the other.

I translated this with the UbiSoft engine:
So Girl-On-Girl, tu nicht machen das gleichen Fehler. Löschen den Hermann Netzstätte und Foren auf einmal, oder benutzen Australien Gesetze. Oder lassen MICH simpel benutzen die UNS Version, als Sie taten in das Vergangenheit. Falls Sie begutachten in mein Konto, Sie Konservendose claerly sehen, dieses ich benutze einzige englische Versionen. Meistens wegen ich wirklich hasse die eingekotete Transspätungen.

Honest now: when was the last time you used a swastika in the way "it actually stands for"?

See - that's the problem.
I don't have a problem with swastikas in, let's say, India, China, Tibet or Japan - it's part of their cultural heritage, and as long as it's used only in that cultural way - I see no problem.

But the thing here in Europe is: we have no cultural heritage attached to swastikas (please spare me with the vikings), what we have instead, is the swastika as a symbol for hate, genocide, torture,...etc.

Now, for arguments sake, let's pretend the German Government allows from next Monday Morning at 0:00a.m. the use of swastikas again.

What do you think, would happen?
Do you actually believe, hundreds or even thousands of Germans would -out of a sudden- discover their new spirituality, bear the swastika as an expression for their believe in hinduism?

Or do you possibly admit, that only the Neo-Nazis would throw the party of their lifetime?

Because, I think the letter would happen.
http://www.gog.com/forum/general/thanks_for_censorship_gog/post113
Hey, well done Sauerkraut is deliscious - and healthy, btw. Just don't forget to add the Kümmel (caraway). Makes the digestion easier.

No clue. I can't stand Sauerkraut.

You have completely missed the point. Granted, I'm not the greatest person ever to express myself. See immi101's post for a bit more condensed version of what I was trying to say. As long as people exist who want to use swastika symbol to mark their idelology as Nazi ideology, society has a problem. Taking away the symbol does not deal with the problem. You said it yourself a bit further up -
The more power we give to Nazi symbolism, the more will people see the symbols, the fasade, not what they're supposed to represent, what's inside.

OK - for whatever reasons, this reply kept on hanging in the waiting loop since forever, so I do it as a no-reply now.
Hopefully that makes it.

--------------------------------------
PROTOSS
Well, I see at the two biggest points of how it works in Austria:
1. They use PEGI instead of a homebrew organisation.
2. They have practically no censorship in video games.

Sure, the criminal code is not the only law that would need to be changed, but it would be a beginning.
---------------------------------------

What makes you think, that if we used PEGI instead of the USK alone, it would change anything?
I'm no expert, when it comes to these things, but he same criteria would still be used to judge a game, no?

From the PEGI-Site:

Wie funktioniert das Einstufungsverfahren?

Vor der Veröffentlichung jeder Spielversion füllt der Publisher ein Online-Bewertungs- und Anmeldeformular aus. Der erste Teil des Formulars betrifft Rechtsvorschriften bestimmter europäischer Länder(*).

Im zweiten Teil macht der Publisher dann Angaben zum Inhalt des Spiels und geht dabei besonders auf das mögliche Auftreten von Gewalt- oder Sexdarstellungen sowie anderen kritischen visuellen oder grafischen Inhalten(**) ein.
Abhängig von den Angaben erteilt PEGI automatisch eine vorläufige Altersempfehlung und gibt die Inhaltssymbole an, die eine Einordnung des Spiels in diese Kategorie begründen.
Anschließend wird dem jeweils zuständigen PEGI-Administrator (NICAM(***) oder VSC(****), je nach vorläufiger Altersempfehlung) eine Zusammenstellung aller Informationen und Materialien zugesendet, die für die Prüfung der vorläufigen Altersempfehlung gegen die PEGI-Kriterien notwendig sind.
Im Anschluss wird dem Publisher eine Lizenz zur Verwendung des Logos mit der Altersempfehlung sowie der Inhaltssymbole für das Spiel erteilt.

(*) Deutschland wäre dann eines dieser Länder, und seine Rechtsvorschriften würden ebenfalls in eine Bewertung einfließen.
Germany would then be one of these countries, and its laws would have to be applied to find a fitting rating.

(**) Darunter würde dann z.B. auch die Darstellung Verfassungsfeindlicher Symbole (Und darum geht es hier ja) fallen.
The depiction of symbols of organisations standing in contrary to our constitution, would be part of this (and that's what this whole topic is all about)

(***) Die NICAM (niederländisches Institut für die Klassifizierung audiovisueller Medien) ist der Niederländische Prüfer für solche Inhalte.
The NICAM is the dutch administrator to check the content of the games.

(****) die VSC (Video Standards Council) ist das Britische Equivalent dazu und dient ebenfalls dem prüfen der Inhalte.
The VSC is the british administrator to check the content of the games.

Wenn jetzt Deutschland der PEGI beitreten würde, kannst du Gift drauf nehmen, daß die USK ein Mitspracherecht bekäme - oder eine andere, noch zu gründende, Organisation.

Aber in jedem Fall würden die Inhalte nochmals innerhalb Deutschlands geprüft und erst dann eine (der geltenden Gesetzeslage entsprechende) endgültige Einstufung erhalten.

Translation:
If Germany would join the PEGI, you rest assured, our own USK, or any other (yet to be established) organisation would get a say and a veto in the assessment of the rating.

In any case, the content of the games would be checked here in Germany again. And only then would a rating be applied (in accordance with the laws of Germany)