Court denies the California gaming law appeal

Remember the California game law? You know, the one that wants to restrict the sale and rental of violent video games? Well, they went to the Court of Appeals to challenge the ruling, and guess what they got. Their appeal was denied, and the US Court of Appeals has ruled against the 2005 California gaming law. More in the full article.

Remember the California game law? You know, the one that wants to restrict the sale and rental of violent video games? Well, they went to the Court of Appeals to challenge the ruling, and guess what they got. Their appeal was denied, and the US Court of Appeals has ruled against the 2005 California gaming law.

In the case of Video Software Dealers Association versus Arnold Schwarzenegger, the court held the law as “an unconstitutional violation of the First AmendmentÂ’s guarantee of freedom of speech.”

This law was meant to prevent the sale and rental of video games that came with content that’s deemed “offensive to the community” or “especially heinous, cruel, or depraved”, to consumers under the age of 18. Under this law, retailers would need to ask customers for valid ID when selling a “violent video game”, yes, just like when buying beer. Failure to do so means they’ll be fined US$ 1000 per infraction.

A federal district court judge said that it was “unduly restrictive” and that it “used overly broad definitions.” Overall, the state simply failed to show that enacting the law would be helpful to minors. The appeal was filed late October last year, and the decision was handed out yesterday.

• California game law proven unconstitutional; Schwarzenegger to appeal
• The California video game law is back and may even go to the Supreme Court
  

Via Gamasutra