Radio and television broadcasters in France must soon abandon self-promoting messages like, “Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.” The French equivalent of the FCC, the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA), is banning the mention of specific social-networking sites on the radio or TV. While this rule applies to all online social networks, the ruling was directed at the juggernauts Facebook and Twitter.

A recent ruling passed in France bans the use of the words Facebook and Twitter on National TV and radio channels.

The ruling indicates that the media can still talk about these sites without actually naming them. In other words, they can use general terms such as ‘social networks’ but not the actual names of the network concerned.

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/06/08/france-orders-broadcasters-to-un-like-facebook-unfollow-twitter/comment-page-1/




http://news.accuracast.com/social-media ... and-radio/




So you can no longer say Facebook or Twitter on the air in France unless the news story is actually about Facebook or Twitter.

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

In the EU, they can apparently tell you to stop planting a certain variety of a plant because "the authorities" have decided a particular variety has fallen out of favor, or to stop producing a certain food because a certain region has a monopoly on it.

They actually care about their food in Europe, so I'm not surprised that they'll ban certain foods. The best example I can think of is how Champagne is a region in France and they don't want the prestige that they've worked for for hundreds of years get ruined because someone decides to mix club soda with grape juice, let it ferment, and call it champagne.

aka, "we have nothing else of merit, and everyone else can make this shit too, but we call dibs on the name"
see: feta.

that's a legitimate concern, tbh.

If they need a monopoly on the product itself it's because they're not better than their competitors.