The Entertainment Software Association, a trade group for the video game industry, has gone on the offensive against a California law that would effectively make it illegal to sell games that have anything considered to be violent content in them to those under the age of 18. The Supreme Court is planning to once again take a look at the measure to decide whether or not it is in line with the laws of the land. The CEO of the group, Michael Gallagher, has recently stated that the public should be reminded that video games and computer games alike are a form of protected speech under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. He went on to explain that more than 12 cases have been brought to courts and each time the Judges have sided with the game industry on the issue. Currently, the ESA is headed to court in a case titles Schwarzenegger vs. EMA / Entertainment Software Association. Earloier this year the Supreme Court stated that it would review the law, which was brought to the fore by California Governor, and former action movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger along with Senator Leland Yee. In 2007, the California 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the law was not in line with the constitution on grounds of free speech.
The ESA is planning to bring the full weight of their industry strength to the courts to demonstrate that the law stifles individual freedoms and that by having it in place, the creators, innovators and storytellers in the games industry are essentially being censored.