Category — New Laws

Following both the States of Georgia and Washington, New York State county, Nassau, enacted a law requiring video game retailers to post signs explaining the ERSB rating system.

Source: GamePolitics.com

Categories: Child Sale Restrictions, Game Ratings, New Laws, Retail Sales

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A new British law requires standby features of appliances to be slashed from product designs. Apparently 8% of the UK’s energy each year is consumed by standby devices. The WiiConnect 24 feature keeps the Wii turned on 24/7 in a low power state in order for Wii friends to be able to phone the users Wii and for the Wii to phone home to receive automatic updates etc.
 
Sources: Club Skill  |  GamePolitics.com  |  Joystiq

Categories: New Laws

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Text of Law (SB 340)
Shortly after passing the more controversial, violent game bill (HB 1381), Louisiana has enacted a law, SB 340, that extends the state’s current list of sexually explicit material considered “harmful to minors” to be inclusive of video games in the same way the law extends to pornographic videos, books and magazines. Because the definition of “harmful to minors” deals exclusively with sexually explicit and not “violent” content, the bill will not be contested by the Entertainment Software Association.

Sources: GameIndustry.biz | GameSpot | GamePolitics | Next Generation | GameDaily.biz | Digital Lifestyle | Gamasutra

Categories: New Laws, Sexuality Cases

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Text of Bill
The bill, which comes into force in January 2006, bans the sale or rental of “violent video games” to minors

Sources: Gamespot | Gamasutra | Governor Schwarzenegger’s Press Release
Click Here to Listen to GamePolitic’s October 10, 2005 interview of California Assembly Speaker pro Tem, Leland Yee, about the bill.

GamePolitics Full Coverage Of California’s Violent Video Game Law

Related Posts:

• Yee, Schwarzennegger Comment on California Injunction (December 28, 2005)
• Judge Halts Implementation of California Violent Game Bill (December 22, 2005)
• ESA Launches Legal Action Against California’s Violent Game Bill (October 18, 2005)
• Schwarzenegger Signs Game-restriction Bill (October 7, 2005)

Categories: New Laws, Violent Game Law Cases

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The Entertainment Software Association, the video game industry trade body, has filed suit against the new Michigan law that makes it illegal to sell or rent violent games to those under 17.

Sources: Gamasutra | Next Generation | ESA Press Release

GamePolitics Full Coverage Of Michigan’s Violent Video Game Law

Related Posts:

• Michigan Game Law Permanently Blocked (April 3, 2006)
• Michigan Game Law Temporarily Blocked (November 9, 2006)
• Michigan Governor Signs Violent Games Bill, ESA Files Suit (September 14, 2005)

Categories: New Laws, Violent Game Law Cases

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Illinois Governor Rod. R. Blagojevich has signed into law the Safe Games Illinois Act, which prohibits the sale of violent and sexually explicit games to minors. The act was approved in May by the legislature, and has now been made official.

Sources: Gamasutra | 1Up.com | Gamespot | Illinois Governor’s Press Release | ESA Press Release

GamePolitics Full Coverage of Illinois Game Law

Categories: New Laws, Violent Game Law Cases

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Officials from the Japanese prefecture (an organisation of local government roughly equivalent to a U.S. state) of Kanagawa have banned stores from selling or renting the game Grand Theft Auto III to anyone under the age of 18.

Sources: Gamasutra | Capcom’s June 8 Response

Related Posts:

• Japan to Introduce Revised CERO Ratings System (February 17, 2006)
  
• Second Japanese Prefecture Restricts Grand Theft Auto III (September 20, 2005)
• Japanese Retailers Enforce Restrictions on 18-Rated Games (July 19, 2005)
• Japanese Prefecture Restricts Grand Theft Auto Sales (May 31, 2005)

Categories: Child Sale Restrictions, New Laws, Retail Sales

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Under the new Manitoba law, a retailer who sells or rents a video game marked Adults Only to anyone under 18 can be hit with a fine of $5,000. Games marked Mature, such as the Grand Theft Auto titles, will not be available to anyone under 17.

Sources: CTV | Fradical.com | Manitoba Press Release

Related Posts:

• No Complaints About Manitoba’s Video Game Law (September 19, 2005)
• Manitoba to Restrict Video Game Rentals to Minors (May 9, 2005)
• New Ontario Video Game Retail Sales Law (March 14, 2005)

Categories: Child Sale Restrictions, Game Ratings, New Laws, Retail Sales, Violent Game Laws

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Changes to copyright laws in Australia to implement its free trade agreement with the United States have opened the door for a fresh legal challenge to mod chips, according to Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, which has instructed its lawyers to prepare a new case against the devices.

Source: GameIndustry.biz

Categories: Modding Cases, New Laws, Region Coding Cases

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On March 7, 2005, the Ontario Film Review Board adopted the ESRB classifications. As a result it is now an offence to sell, rent or publicly exhibit video and computer games classified as “Mature” or “Adults Only” to persons apparently under the age of 18 years. If convicted, individuals may face up to $25,000 in fines or imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or both. Corporations are liable for fines up to $100,000.

Sources: GamePolitics.com | Fradical.com | Ontario Film Review Board Press Release

Related Posts:

• No Complaints About Manitoba’s Video Game Law (September 19, 2005)
• Manitoba to Restrict Video Game Rentals to Minors (May 9, 2005)
• New Ontario Video Game Retail Sales Law (March 14, 2005)

Categories: Child Sale Restrictions, Game Ratings, New Laws, Retail Sales, Violent Game Laws

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