got strange email
 

Hi guys,

I would like to ask yours opinion about one strange email that I got couple days ago.
What do you think about this letter? Should I close the page?

Thnak you!

I got it from operational at axur dot com to my gmail account and I found this email in SPAM folder.
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AT:Administrator

As to: Sexual content related to Brazilian identity

Dear Administrator,

It has come to our attention that the site

http://_domain-name.com

offers content on the Internet related to sex tourism and that makes direct and / or indirectly mention to the characteristic and extremely string features related with the Brazilian identity, such as colors of the flag, culture pictures and images of cities.

Through this first letter, the Ministry of Tourism of Brazil (Ministério do Turismo do Brasil), friendly requests you to remove such materials from the site

http://_domain-name.com

and / or remove the association between these contents and the Brazilian identity, as they are at odds with the country's image and damaging to what is actually desired by the Brazilian Government, namely, the increase in Brazil as a tourism pole, among other elements.

Be aware also that any action done with the purpose of prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation involving children and adolescents is a crime and its punishment more stringent penalties under the Brazilian Penal Code (Código Penal Brasileiro). Moreover, this practice is also provided in our Statute of Children and Adolescents (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente), which seeks, among other determinations, establish that it is the duty of all to prevent the occurrence of threat or violation of rights of children and adolescents (art. 70).

We will monitor this request over the next 07 days. We are available for further information regarding this subject.

Sincerely,



TOURISM MINISTRY

Do you really think that the Brazillian Gov. would care about your site? Just a dick-head competitor. Delete and move on. :)

If you do not want to travel to Brazil anymore.

How did you handle this complaint scoutas?

I got similar notice and thought it was spam or another scam. Then I got an email from sedo saying that it removed my brazilian domains from their parking program because they got a threating letter from the Ministry of Tourism of Brazil ....
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To Whom it May Concern:



The Brazilian Federal Government, through the Ministry of Tourism, has found that the domain(s):



(DOMAIN NAMES INTENTIONALLY OMITTED)



relates pornography with Brazil or characteristics associated with the Brazilian Identity on its domain name(s).



The registration and use of this domain name may lead users to believe that Brazil is a tourist attraction and pole of sexual activities, which interferes on the position and image of the country.



Moreover, websites with pornographic contents on the Internet that makes direct and/or indirectly mention to the characteristics related with the Brazilian identity, such as colors of the flag, culture pictures and images of cities, sets as a crime, punishable by the Brazilian Penal Code, Federal Law n. 9.279/1996:



Art. 191. Reproducing or imitating, in whole or in part and in a way that may induce to error or confusion, coats of arms, escutcheons, or national, foreign or international official badges, without the necessary authorization, in a mark, title of establishment, trade name, insignia or advertising sign, or using such reproductions or imitations for economic purposes.



It should be noticed that any action done with the purpose of prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation involving children and/or adolescents is a heinous crime and its punishment is more stringent under the Brazilian Penal Code (Código Penal Brasileiro). Moreover, this practice is also provided in our Statute of Children and Adolescents (Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente), which seeks, among other determinations, establish that is the duty of all prevent the occurrence of threat or violation of rights of children and adolescents (article 70).



Through this letter, the Ministry of Tourism of Brazil requests that you provide a written assurance within the next seven (7) days that you will:



1. Immediately discontinue any and all use of the domain(s)



2. Immediately and permanently refrain from any use of the term that associates Brazil to the pornography on the Internet;



3. Remove any and all pornographic content or dissociate it with the Brazilian Identity or Brazil.



We await your response within the period mentioned above and we are at disposal for further information on this subject through the address listed on the signature of this message.



Best Regards,



MINISTRY OF TOURISM OF BRAZIL

[email protected]

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Now I am extremely confused how a parked domain on sedo is a threat to tourism in brazil? None of my domains are worthy of a complaint. All are generic phrases. And sedo has hundreds of domains with brazil or brazilian on their parking program with adult ads.

Has anyone else got an email from the ministry of tourism? How about sponsors like OC Cash & Nasty Dollars?

Unless you're fro Brazil, who cares?
You could block Brazilian traffic from your site if it's important to you.

So you don't think this is a problem? What concerns me is that they are asserting a copywrite on the use of the word brazilian in the domain name. And that you can not use that in connection with porn. And in my case, they are equating google text advertising as pornography.

They can assert anything they want to. Anyone can send you e-mails claiming anything.
Unless it's something with real authority, it makes no difference.

The email is from the Brazilian Goverment and states:

Moreover, websites with pornographic contents on the Internet that makes direct and/or indirectly mention to the characteristics related with the Brazilian identity, such as colors of the flag, culture pictures and images of cities, sets as a crime, punishable by the Brazilian Penal Code, Federal Law n. 9.279/1996:

If you're not in Brazil, then it doesn't matter.
Everyone on GFY is violating Iranian law as well and subject to the death penalty there.

OK Thanks baryl for the advice.

I will start hosting these names myself and try the blocking method.

Hosts or companies like Sedo can voluntarily comply with Brazilian law even if they don't have a legal obligation to do so, say, if they do business in Brazil.
That's basically how the US gets away with enforcing its laws in other countries.

Well I don't think this has anything to do with sedo doing business in Brazil. I just got an email from sedo legal and they state that I am not the only one with this issue. Apparently the list was huge and sedo is busy working the list. So I am not alone. Sedo claims they are doing this under threat of legal action.

From what I have been reading from searching the web is that Brazil has launched a massive campaign to censor the internet and free speech.

In the case of online porn, they decided to use the corrupt Ministry of Tourism as their instrument. Citing sex tourism is exploiting the children. Sound a little familar. Whenever a goverment wants to take away your rights, they usually say it's to protect the kids. But in all reality it has nothing to do with kids.