Odd Laws No 15

You Can't Turn Off Your Phone's Camera Sound in South Korea

As a response to a hidden camera crisis in subways, the South Korean government banned the silencing of phone cameras when taking pictures. This means that if you buy a phone in the country, you will be unable to turn off the shutter sound.

This law also exists in Japan.

Finnish Taxi Drivers Must Pay Royalty Fees for Songs They Play in Their Cars

Whenever you get into a cab, it's normal for the taxi driver to be listening to the radio, as a way to make the ride more pleasant for everyone. In Finland, however, taxi drivers are required by law to pay royalty fees for songs they play while driving passengers.

The logic of the law is that they're using the song for business while making a profit, so they must pay for the rights.

We're all for intellectual property protection, but this seems a bit extreme.

You Can't Flush the Toilet After Hours in Sweden

If you're in certain parts of Sweden and need to go to the bathroom after 10 p.m., you're out of luck. It's not that you can't go to the bathroom, but you won't be able to make noise while you do it.

This means that you will be forced to let it mellow until the morning. If you're a guy, you'll also need to go sitting down so that you don't make noise.

The rule isn't followed in every part of the country, but if you have an annoying neighbor who wants to complain, they would technically have the law on their side.

It's Illegal to Play Dominoes in Sevilla, Spain

Another country trying to combat noise pollution in weird ways is Spain. Or, more precisely, the city of Sevilla. The beautiful city prevents people from playing dominoes in public, allegedly because the pieces make too much noise when they clink as players put them down.

We don't understand this reasoning, given how Sevilla is a lively town where live music is played in the streets and flamenco dancers put on shows in public spaces.

Throwing Octopuses Is Illegal in Michigan

Fans of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team have a tradition of throwing octopuses onto the ice for good luck. In the 1950s, the situation got so bad that a law had to be passed against this.

While the law has been around for a while, fans continue to partake in this tradition. Rather than be a weird law that is no longer used, it's a weird law that isn't enforced but that continues to be relevant.