EMA opposes Videogame Ratings Enforcement Act

Entertainment Merchants Assn. legislative update for July

By Cheryl Cheng -- Video Business, 9/4/2008

SEPT. 4 | The following summarizes key government affairs activities during July of the Entertainment Merchants Assn.

• Videogame Ratings Enforcement Act: EMA met with the staff of Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) to express its opposition to his recently introduced bill, which would bar the sale of an M-rated videogame to anyone under 17 and an AO-rated videogame to anyone under 18. The EMA believes the bill is unconstitutional and unnecessary.

• Utah Secondhand Goods Law: A Utah state advisory committee has drafted exemptions to the state’s secondhand goods law, which does not include EMA’s suggestions to exempt video and videogame specialty retailers that offer only store credit for trade-ins and sell only previously viewed rental titles.

• Council of State Retail Assn.: EMA attended the Council’s annual meeting to raise awareness of the organization.