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Google Android Developer Challenge - but not for Italy (and Quebec)
Posted by fabriziogiudici on November 13, 2007 at 03:12 AM | Comments (10)
Everybody is talking about Google Android and - as usual - there's an interesting context with $10M dollars in prizes. Excellent news for people and corporates who want to play with innovation.
And as usual Italy is excluded from the competition (and I see Quebec too). Looking at the FAQ, you learn that:
The Android Developer Challenge is open to individuals, teams of individuals, and business entities. While we seek to make the Challenge open worldwide, we cannot open the Challenge to residents of Cuba, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, and Myanmar (Burma) because of U.S. laws. In addition, the Challenge is not open to residents of Italy or Quebec because of local restrictions.
I say "as usual" since this constantly happens, for instance past year's Sun Grid Developer Challenge had similar rules.
You might wonder what are those "local restrictions". Well, for my country:
- prizes must be assigned in presence of a notary public and a representative from an acknowledged consumer association;
- prizes that are not delivered (for any reason, including recipient not picking them) must be donated to some non-profit organizations, explicitly listed in the contest rules;
- there are some papers to fill in and the contest must be registered to two different Ministries (you know, in Italy there are a lot of Ministries, sometimes it's hard to understand who's doing what) and to the State Monopoly Administration.
But above all:
- the entity which is organizing the contest must guarantee in advance a security deposit
"cash loan" (not sure of the translation here, but I hope you get the point) covering the whole value of prizes.
I mean, the first points are an annoyance, but probably a legal office can carry them out in some ways (of course, with additional expenses and complexity). In any case they are laughable in the context of Web {2,3}.0 and the new economy and whatever. But the last point would mandate that Google froze $10M in some bank account to "guarantee" that prizes will be really delivered (even though it's extremely unlikely that all the prizes are delivered in Italy).
I realize that, in Google's shoes, I'd take the same decision and exclude Italy from the contest. You give up with a small fraction of the potential targets, but you're freed from such a crazy bureaucracy.
We Italians are so grateful to our lawmakers that in every circumstance make sure that our life is easier and we can compete with the rest of the world.
PS If you're going to mention this story, please add the following string to your post: 405849595839 - it can be used for tracking this thread. Henry Story explains the technical details in his blog.
Technorati Tags: Google Android, Android Developer Challenge, Italian life
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Comments
Comments are listed in date ascending order (oldest first) | Post Comment
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This is very sad... how can we possibly regain our lost competitiveness when we have such absurd obstacles to innovation?
Thanks Fabrizio for clarifying this point anyway.
Posted by: riccardocossu on November 13, 2007 at 05:58 AM
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Nearly two years ago I ran the Mustang (er..) Java6 Regressions Contest and had an interesting exposure to the state of international law in regards to running contests. In that contest we had to block out certain countries like France and it came down to the vagaries of how each country has their own laws regarding the conduct of contests. It's all different and if you try to set up contest rules which are compatible with every countries laws, well, you'll spend a fortune in lawyer fees. Supposedly Google has a lot of money so one would think they could afford the lawyers. But... maybe some things are beyond the capability of even Google.
Posted by: robogeek on November 13, 2007 at 10:46 AM
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Yes, I understand that there are different laws around the world, but in the end - rogue countries apart - it looks like only TWO countries were problematic in the total 150+ (200+)?
Posted by: fabriziogiudici on November 13, 2007 at 12:11 PM
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Oddly enough I was doing unrelated research on this topic this morning. Since the contest is running internationally, the "Security Deposit" required to run it in Quebec would only be 0.5% of the total winnings ($50,000). Quebec also has some similar rules to the paper work ones you posted for Italy, but perhaps the more damaging ones for Quebec lie in (and I believe I've read the legal corrected)
- The Quebec Gaming Comission (not the correct name, but essentially the same thing) can at any time decide to perform an audit to determine if the contest is "being run properly" according to the papers and forms you need to submit to them before the start of the contest. Quote: "audit or examine the registers, books, accounts, vouchers, letters, telegrams or other documents, and the property, apparatus, equipment, processes or material the audit or examination of which may, in his opinion, help him in determining if this Act, the regulations and the rules are being complied with'"
So that would give them access to just about anything in Google's office that they "felt" they had a right to look at, including their books, etc.
If they don't like what's going on (and it can be as simple as changing the dates of the contest or changing a judge without informing them), it appears as though they can start siezing (under law) anything that relates to the contest - including the prize money and then can distribute it however they see fit.
Really not the best idea for Google (or any company really) to get in bed with a government group that might decide they don't like the way your contest is running and try to shut the entire thing down and steal the prize money.
More information can be found here : http://www.racj.gouv.qc.ca/section.asp?lang=en&noSection=4&noGrappe=5
Posted by: unobserved on November 13, 2007 at 12:49 PM
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I understand that this is a theoretical issue. But hey, what's the real problem here in a globalized world: you submit the code along with your email address (and perhaps homepage url) and bank account number . If you win, your "electronic" home will be posted (that can be located anywhere in the world) and the money will be transfered to your bank account (for 10 million $$$ you could even open a foreign bank account!). Will really anybody in Italy or Quebec care? And what if yes? If the contest was organized by an american company, they can try to sue the company in america but I doubt that an Italian Ministry (or any other bureaucratic Ministry in the world) will manage to do this within our life time:)
Posted by: simonis on November 15, 2007 at 01:25 AM
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simonis, it's not so easy. While probably nobody would care, the point is that the rules just excludes you as italian resident, no matter where you place your internet site. Of course, there are workarounds. If you have some friends or if your company has some office abroad, you're fine. If you only point to the money and are available to give up with the glory, you can submit the thing associated to another guy or entity. After all I imagine that most people is interested in the money as a way to fund their own work. But if you are an university researcher, and I read the blog of some, you have a problem since you probably want your name to appear in the list of your achievements.
Posted by: fabriziogiudici on November 15, 2007 at 01:33 AM
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I have sent a letter to Minister Antonio Di Pietro, which he published in his blog.
I am actually not surprised by Google decision about Italy: it's only logical they did that. Google's challenge is about individual talent (beside being about a product) and the will to create something without absurd obstacles. I think this is related to how entrepreneurship in Italy is discouraged at all levels by the institutions: no research funding, no startups, and apparently even when the money comes from abroad there's going to be something in the way. It's sick (and sad) if you ask me.
Posted by: ettorep on November 15, 2007 at 03:42 PM
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Good move ettorep. Guys, please follow my recent posts about the thing - something is moving.
Posted by: fabriziogiudici on November 18, 2007 at 11:42 PM
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