Senators introduce law curbing game sales to young (CNet News.com)
WASHINGTON, D.C.--Sen. Hillary Clinton and U.S. Senate colleagues
on Friday introduced legislation prohibiting the sale of violent or
sexually explicit video games to minors, saying the industry's
self-rating system was not being adequately enforced.
The proposed measure was the latest development in an increasingly
strident battle over the content of video games, which represent a $10
billion industry in the United States, rivaling the box office revenue
of Hollywood movies.
Some states have already passed laws regulating the sales, although the
video game industry has won some early court battles against them.
At a news conference on Capitol Hill, New York Democrat Clinton said
legal restraints should be imposed to keep inappropriate video games
from children, in the same way laws protect children from tobacco,
alcohol and pornography.
In some video games, characters routinely spray each other with machine
gun fire, drive over pedestrians and kill police officers, Clinton
said, saying it is all too easy for minors to buy such games.
"These video games are stealing the innocence of our children," said
Clinton. "Our bill puts teeth into the standards set by the industry."
Clinton introduced the bill along with Democratic senators Joseph
Lieberman of Connecticut and Evan Bayh of Indiana. They did not discuss
prospects for advancing the legislation, but said they expected to
attract some Republican co-sponsors.
The bill would prohibit any business from selling or renting a video
game rated "Mature," "Adults-Only," or "Ratings Pending" to anyone
younger than 17.
Violation would be a federal misdemeanor. On-site managers of stores
that made the prohibited sales would be subject to a fine of $1,000 or
100 hours of community service for the first offense; and $5,000 or 500
hours of community service for each subsequent offense.
Video game ratings are set by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board,
an independent nonprofit group established in 1994 by the Entertainment
Software Association.
The president of that association, Douglas Lowenstein, said the
proposed measure was unconstitutional and infringed on the industry's
creative rights. "We place our trust in parents, not Congress, to
decide what's right for their families," he said in a statement.
But Lieberman said he was confident the law was constitutional, because
it did not impinge on freedom of expression, only restricted sales to
minors. There has been no ruling on the matter from the U.S. Supreme
Court, he noted.
"Courts in America have not been hesitant to uphold laws that limit
children's access to pornography. It's very ironic that courts have now
struck down attempts to limit children's access to violent materials,"
Lieberman said.