EMA opposes New York videogame bill
Entertainment Merchants Assn. legislative update for June
By Cheryl Cheng -- Video Business, 7/10/2008
JULY 10 |The following summarizes key government affairs activities during June of the Entertainment Merchants Assn.
• New York Videogame Bill: Bill A11717 requires videogames to conspicuously display its ratings on packaging and videogame consoles sold in New York as of Sept. 1, 2010, to contain parental controls. The bill also requires the establishment of an advisory commission to review game ratings and the impact of media violence on children. EMA believes the bill is unnecessary.
• ESA v. Swanson (Minn. Videogame Law): The state will reimburse plantiffs EMA and the Entertainment Software Assn. $65,000 for their legal fees and costs. The law would impose a $25 civil penalty on minors under 17 who rent or purchase videogames rated “Mature” or “Adults Only.” As part of the agreement, the state of Minnesota will not request the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
• Ohio Secondhand Goods Amendment: The governor of Ohio has signed into law amendment S.B. 171, which requires secondhand goods dealers to keep a photocopy of a seller’s driver’s license. EMA wrote to the governor to veto the bill. The amendment goes into effect Sept. 11.
• Indiana “Adult Product” Registration Law: A U.S. District Court has ruled as unconstitutional the Indiana law requiring registration of businesses that offer “sexually explicit” material. EMA was a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit to overturn the law, which would require the businesses to provide a statement detailing the types of materials intended to be sold and pay a $250 fee. The court found this law to be a content-based restriction on protected speech; a punitive tax on protected speech; is vague in its language; and overbroad in its scope.
