millbank Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Game Ruling California's ban on selling video games to minors is unconstitutional because even the most graphic on-screen mayhem is free speech, and there's no convincing evidence it causes psychological damage to young people, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. "The government may not restrict speech in order to control a minor's thoughts," said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco in upholding a federal judge's ruling against the law, which has never been enforced. Similar laws in other states have also been struck down -interesting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooderson Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Very interesting, I would have never thought of video games as a way of free speech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Very interesting, I would have never thought of video games as a way of free speech. Why not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Bizarre ruling. How are video games any different than TV or movies? Does this mean the entire movie rating system is unconstitutional? There is nothing wrong with reasonable limits on things that are inappropriate for minors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Why not? What about the skin mags? Why can't a 7 year old pick up a copy of Penthouse? Why have the age limit questions on porn sights (so I'm told there is a button to push to 'prove' you are of age)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 Bizarre ruling. How are video games any different than TV or movies? Does this mean the entire movie rating system is unconstitutional? There is nothing wrong with reasonable limits on things that are inappropriate for minors. The movie rating system is not a law - it's a set of guidelines put forth by the MPAA. There is no law that stops movie theaters from allowing people under 17 to watch an R rated movie - it's all self-policed, and if a theater lets your 10 year old in to watch Friday the 13th, there's nothing illegal about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted February 21, 2009 Share Posted February 21, 2009 What about the skin mags? Why can't a 7 year old pick up a copy of Penthouse? Why have the age limit questions on porn sights (so I'm told there is a button to push to 'prove' you are of age)? Did you actually RTFA? "The Supreme Court has carefully limited obscenity to sexual content," Judge Consuelo Callahan said in the 3-0 ruling. "We decline the state's invitation to apply the (same) rationale to materials depicting violence." Violence != sex, according to the law. And even so -- the button to "prove" you are of age is just CYA by the people who make the site. If some parent sues them (because anyone can sue anyone in this country), they can point to the page as "proof" that the kid shouldn't have been there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts