The Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA), a non-profit consumer advocacy group representing gamers, announced today that they will be submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is currently overseeing the violent video game case, Schwarzenegger v. EMA. The ECA also urges gamers to sign their online petition, which will be submitted along with the brief. The petition will “publicly define who the consumers of interactive entertainment are and why we care enough about the issue to take the time to make the effort to speak up and make our voices heard.” Once submitted, both items will become official court documents.
"The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the State of California's infamous 'violent video game case' later this year, or early next," said Jennifer Mercurio, ECA Vice President and General Counsel. "At that time, the Court is going to listen to oral arguments on whether to agree with previous federal court findings or not. Agreeing would mean that they believe that video games are, and should continue to be, First Amendment protected speech; just like movies and music. The Court disagreeing would mean that video games should be treated differently, which the ECA strongly believes to be unconstitutional and could lead to new bills and laws curtailing video game access in states across the country."
"The gaming sector, as a whole, has arrived at perhaps the single most important challenge it has ever faced in the U.S. The medium itself and how it, the trade, and its consumers will be perceived for the long term is at stake,” emphasizes ECA President Hal Halpin. “Anyone who cares about gaming should feel compelled to both sign the petition and encourage their friends and family to do similarly. These documents will provide the court with one clear collective voice with which to vocalize our position and reinforce that we agree with the lower court findings: games, like music and movies, are protected free speech."
For more information on the ECA or this landmark case, gamers can visit the ECA’s website here.
