The Supreme Court of Germany banned the advertising of virtual items

Not exactly mobile news. The German developer and publisher Gameforge is forced to withdraw certain formulations from advertising the virtual content of its title Runes of Magic.

In particular, the following phrase attracted the court’s attention: “Do not miss a profitable opportunity and add something special to your armor and weapons.” The Supreme Court recognized this wording as a direct call for the purchase of goods aimed at children, which is prohibited by the legislation of the European Union.

According to the prosecution, the advertising offer is addressed specifically to children, since it contains an informal “you” (which in Germany is used in the circle of family, close friends and in relation to children) and Anglicisms characteristic of children’s speech. The court’s decision is not final yet, and the defendant is trying to challenge it.

The EU Directive states that the “call to buy” must include product characteristics and price. In practice, a hyperlink to the online market turned out to be enough to make an accusation, despite the absence of a description and cost of the goods in the text of the appeal. That is, the court considered the advertisement and the online store to which it refers as a whole.

The situation around Runes of Magic indicates that organizations protecting the rights of individual consumers, and possibly competitors, will pay close attention to the language of advertising texts. And this can affect not only online, but also mobile games.

So, when entering the EU markets, do not forget that direct appeals to children are vetoed. And, of course, such appeals as “Get this sword for only €2.99!” should be avoided.

Source: gamasutra.com