Italy Demands Apple Remove Joke iTunes App; Starts Legal Action Against App Author

from the humor-sensors? dept

Thu, Sep 30th 2010 11:24am — Mike Masnick

btr1701 passes on the news of how Italy's tourism minister apparently has absolutely no sense of humor. There's an app in the Apple iTunes store for iPhones and iPads called "What Country," which summarizes every country in quick stereotypical snippets. It's meant to be amusing. For example:

Britain is characterised by "tea, weird sense of humour, football hooligans and rain", while Germany is summed up with "beer, discipline and autobahns". China is reduced to "overpopulation, kung fu, Great Wall, Tibet and tea ceremony", while the most defining characteristics of the US are "melting pot, hamburger and the American dream".

As for Italy, well, it's summarized as "pizza, the Mafia and scooters." And, apparently, Italy's tourism minister, Michela Vittoria Brambilla, has such a lack of humor that she declared the app "offensive and unacceptable," demanded that Apple remove it from the store and (most ridiculous of all) is asking the state's attorney to take legal action against the author. Apparently, someone thinks it's illegal in Italy to make a joke about Italy.

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Filed Under: apps, italy, jokes, liability, mafia, pizza, scooters
Companies: apple

36 Comments

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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 11:25am

Damn stereotypes
Yeah, they get really picky about that kind of thing. The Italian Tourism Minister does not ride a scooter.
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Sep 2010 @ 11:27am

Update
It now reads: pizza, the Mafia, scooters and no sense of humor.
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 11:28am

Well, hey
Everyone likes pizza. And scooters.

Even the Mafia can be a positive influence in besieged communities.

Michela Vittoria Brambilla, sadly ranks lower than any of the above.
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Ima Fish (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 11:53am

Obviously Italy's tourism minister is from northern Italy. If she had been from southern Italy, the author would have been found dead already. Maybe with an ironic apple stuffed in his mouth.
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Jeff, 30 Sep 2010 @ 11:55am

Watch out
It looks like Italy wants the author whacked, and they'll do it, with someone disguised as a pizza delivery person... driving a scooter.

*honk* *honk* *honk*
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Pickle Monger (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 11:55am

What's illegal
C'mon Mike. Don't be ridiculous. It's obviously not illegal in Italy to have a sense of humour as witnessed by their numerous excellent comedies. It is, however, obviously illegal to have common sense as witnessed by:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100427/2329349205.shtml
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20 100305/1139318439.shtml
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100207/2246518070.shtml
http://www.tech dirt.com/articles/20100118/0311057792.shtml
...
Or one can just click on the "Italy" tag and keep reading, reading, reading...
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Greg G, 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:01pm

Ummm
The app didn't mention women with hairy pits, so Michela Vittoria Brambilla should just keep her sleeved shirt on lest the hairs under her arms start waving in the breeze.
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johnny canada, 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:11pm

They should change 'Mafia' to charging Google Exec. with crimes.

That should get the app 'fit for Italy'
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Karl Stevens, 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:12pm

The minister is correct with his outrage!
Where exactly are the fast cars!?!?!? Did the the app author forget about Ferrari and Lamborghini? (Not to mention Bugatti, which although technically German was founded by an Italian.)

It's an outrage I say!
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Rikuo (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:16pm

But they're facs
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Rikuo (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:19pm

Re: But they're facts
Ignore the blank comment above, pressed enter at the wrong time...
What the app mentioned "pizza, the Mafia and scooters" is merely listing what can be found in the country, or what the country is known for. Pizza came from Italy, as did the Mafia; was the scooter invented in Italy as well?
Does Italy not have free speech laws? (Oh wait, I remember, their Prime Minister owns most of the media in the country). Now I can see what would happen if Rupert Murdoch became President...
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Anonymous Coward, 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:21pm

The most important question
Does Italy actually has jurisdiction over the app's author? What if he is from the US?
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Liquid (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:47pm

Re: Damn stereotypes
Are you sure?
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Trails (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:49pm

Re: What's illegal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabina_Guzzanti
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Guido AC, 30 Sep 2010 @ 12:52pm

Just imagine if the app had spoken disparagingly about Frank Sinatra or the Pope!
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Chronno S. Trigger (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 1:06pm

Re: Re: Damn stereotypes
Why else would Michela be so upset?
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whodoyouthinkyouare, 30 Sep 2010 @ 1:46pm

Damn
This guy is in trouble. Once the mob is done with their pizza break, they will ride there Vespas over to his house and whack him.
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Stuart (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 1:53pm

Re: The most important question
Does Italy actually has cheezbrgr?
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TPBer, 30 Sep 2010 @ 1:56pm

just curious
Has anyone looked this fine red head up , who cares if she does not like something, just listen to her, she's smokin hot.
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PopeRatzo (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 2:37pm

amazing
So this was an app that Apple found acceptable, not the South Park app from Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

I'd say it seems pretty arbitrary, but I'm sure Apple had a perfectly swell reason to reject Stone and Parker's app.

Not.
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Eugene (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 2:44pm

Re: Re: Damn stereotypes
It's called a Vespa damn it! They're different! D:
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interval (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 2:45pm

Hey Italy!!
Atsamattah for you?
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Palmyra (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 2:53pm

An Italian American says -
Can I get on Android???!!!!!!!!
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Max Nicks (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 2:59pm

Re: Damn stereotypes
@Chrono S. Trigger - You are correct. She doesn't ride a scooter, but she is a member of the Mafia.
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harbingerofdoom (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 4:13pm

Re: Re: Damn stereotypes
and reportedly LOVES pizza
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btr1701 (profile), 30 Sep 2010 @ 9:48pm

Re: The most important question
> Does Italy actually has jurisdiction over the app's author? What
> if he is from the US?

Then the most they can do is indict and try him in absentia (because the U.S. certainly isn't going to extradite one of its citizens to stand trial for something which is constitutionally protected here) and when they convict him, he'll never be able to go to Italy without fear of arrest.

Other than that, he won't have to worry about it at all.
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puffo, 1 Oct 2010 @ 1:21am

You are all wrong!
I lived 4 years in the US and love America. I am Italian. But believe me most of your comments are to me offensive! It is not a matter of lack of sense of humor!!! In Italy we are more happy, relax and easy going than in the US. But I also think that when we talk about stereotyping and dignity, there is alway a limit to what is correct and what is not correct to say or do. I think that if Fiat or another Italian company will make a joke about 9/11 or the assassination of JFK or Martin Luther King, I am sure many of you will be hurt!

Italy should NOT be identify by a well know company as Mafia or spaghetti! Period!
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darryl, 1 Oct 2010 @ 2:03am

Talk about racist :)
"while the most defining characteristics of the US are "melting pot, hamburger and the American dream". "

Ofcourse, this was written by someone in America, what a joke do you Americans honestly believe that is how the US is seen by the world ?

A melting pot !!!, you're joking, the US is highly sectarian, sure you come from different places originally but you are certainly NOT one, all in a melting pot.

Hambergers and the American dream, yea, right,

But its funny to see the various comments for various countries, it shows a very narrow, and bordering on racist attitude..

when you state for Britain "tea, weird sense of humour",

Weird sense of humour... HAHA, thats funny, and it shows that its probably (most probably) some US person who just 'does not get it'.

Maybe, "warm beer, football hooigans, cricket.

and US "cheap tacky goods, loud boisterous tourists, know it all's, self centered, and willing to war any and all comers.

How shalow to make claims like that about Itaily, when as has been stated here, the US is far worse than Itaily in respect of mafia, crime, Italian art, curture, history, cars, the Pope, and a history that makes the US look like babies in the pram.

Im from Australia, we came from convicts and crims mostly, and we have a short history in this country, but we dont claim to be the leaders of the planet.. (we just know we are :))
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Oct 2010 @ 7:52am

To be fair, it's definitely shows a bias in the positive/negative selections. Yeah, I'm also guessing it's written by an American.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Oct 2010 @ 7:55am

Actually, what would be a laugh to see is a global poll asking the 3-4 things that immediately come to mind when thinking of a country... to build a kind of global "consensus" as to how we're all thought of, heh.
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Sforyou, 1 Oct 2010 @ 4:01pm

same old crap
Its obvious, somebody at apple is jealous, ignorant, spiteful or all three, it would be like referring to Germany as land of SS or something else.
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from Italia, 5 Oct 2010 @ 6:25am

It's not all
I'm from Italia,and we are angry not only because the mafia-only picture, but because of all the country of the world we are not the only one to deal with crime. Unfortunately there are a lot of other places more dangerous and hard than mine. As an Italian I can tell you that is not easy to deal everytime with stereotypes like this.It's not the first time, I never heard an Italian say stereotypes about other places here, but when we go abroad we always find people who call us "mafia, mandolino, spaghetti". Why? We are the state that millions of people come to visit each year and all of you probably wear something italian. But you can't understand us as a people that struggle everyday with mafia heritage. Lots of people died for this crime and we are struggling to beat it,it's serious stuff, not a stereotype. At this point I prefer if you call us "pizza mandolino spaghetti" like before.
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from Italia, 5 Oct 2010 @ 6:26am

It's not all
I'm from Italia,and we are angry not only because the mafia-only picture, but because of all the country of the world we are not the only one to deal with crime. Unfortunately there are a lot of other places more dangerous and hard than mine. As an Italian I can tell you that is not easy to deal everytime with stereotypes like this.It's not the first time, I never heard an Italian say stereotypes about other places here, but when we go abroad we always find people who call us "mafia, mandolino, spaghetti". Why? We are the state that millions of people come to visit each year and all of you probably wear something italian. But you can't understand us as a people that struggle everyday with mafia heritage. Lots of people died for this crime and we are struggling to beat it,it's serious stuff, not a stereotype. At this point I prefer if you call us "pizza mandolino spaghetti" like before.
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from Italia, 5 Oct 2010 @ 6:28am

It's not all
I'm from Italia,and we are angry not only because the mafia-only picture, but because of all the country of the world we are not the only one to deal with crime. Unfortunately there are a lot of other places more dangerous and hard than mine. As an Italian I can tell you that is not easy to deal everytime with stereotypes like this.It's not the first time, I never heard an Italian say stereotypes about other places here, but when we go abroad we always find people who call us "mafia, mandolino, spaghetti". Why? We are the state that millions of people come to visit each year and all of you probably wear something italian. But you can't understand us as a people that struggle everyday with mafia heritage. Lots of people died for this crime and we are struggling to beat it,it's serious stuff, not a stereotype. At this point I prefer if you call us "pizza mandolino spaghetti" like before.
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Anna, 8 Oct 2010 @ 1:33pm

Not Cool
As the Italians on this thread have pointed out, the mafia is not something to joke about. It's an awful thing, and so many people have died. So that when some stupid American makes a joke about it, it's just boorish and rude and insensitive and gauche. It'd be like an Italian poking fun at 9/11 or Columbine or something. It doesn't mean that Italians have no sense of humour (they do! I'm American but I live in Italy).
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Luckythakur, 24 Nov 2010 @ 9:58pm

It's funny that our country has so much time to lose on such trivial issues when our whole government and economy is going straight to hell. Well, good riddance to us.
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