Entertainment industry opposes California video-game law

The Entertainment Software Ratings Board currently rates video games, and many retailers restrict the sales of games marked “Mature” or “Adults Only,” but those restrictions are voluntary. The entertainment industry expressed concern that the ban on sales to minors could eventually lead to wider censorship of content.

“The history of the motion picture industry serves as a vivid illustration of the threat to First Amendment rights from the impulse to control and censor new forms of media — a threat reflected in the statute at issue before the Court. From the advent of motion pictures, a variety of state and local governments sought to restrict their content for the asserted purpose of protecting moviegoers from being exposed to harmful material,” the brief states.

Other groups that have filed briefs opposing the law include the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and the Entertainment Software Association.