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NEWS

Video Recordings Act "No Longer Enforceable"

Tom Ivan's picture

By Tom Ivan

August 25, 2009

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Retailers who sell adult-rated games and films to children can no longer be prosecuted because of a legal blunder 25 years ago.

In 1984 Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government introduced the Video Recordings Act (VRA), which was designed to ensure that games and films were classified and age rated by the British Board of Film Classification, making it illegal to sell adult-rated content to underage consumers.

However, according to the BBC, Thatcher’s government failed to notify the European Commission about the law, meaning that it was never officially enacted.

The legal loophole means that retailers who sell adult-rated games and films to minors can’t be prosecuted until the law is passed again, which is likely to take three months.

A government spokesperson suggested that those previously prosecuted under the VRA “will be unable to overturn their prosecution or receive financial recompense."

AgentCool's picture
On August 26th AgentCool said:

I was going to write "here come the clichéd jokes at the expense of the Daily Mail" but there's already one there.

ArronC07's picture
On August 26th ArronC07 said:

How about "Video Ratings Blunder Cause Massive Rise in Asylum Seekers and Massive Drop in House Prices"?

savagehenry's picture
On August 26th savagehenry said:

What a bunch of muppets!! Another thing well can look back on and laugh!!

After all that fannying around with the rating system over the last couple of months, is that now all for nothing? . So who foots the bill for this debacle?

What a waste of everyones time...

OmegaVader's picture
On August 26th OmegaVader said:

Oh noes, now all the kiddies will buy hyperviolent video games and grow up to become homicidal rapists who devour the souls of unborn babies. Society is surely doomed.

*rolls eyes*

Wrestlevania's picture
On August 25th Wrestlevania said:

I can see it now... school playgrounds awash with old 'Electric Blue' VHS tapes, being sold from the back of a Transit at the front gates.

The Daily Mail's going to explode (hopefully).