Why did the court agree with california that videogames are covered by the first amendment. Why did the court agree with california that video games are covered by the first amendment like books and tv shows video games communicate ideas through familiar means such as plots and dialogue in the stevens case the court held a state cannot decide new categories of actions or words that will not be protected by the first amendment. Supreme court today reaffirmed the principle that the first amendment protects free speech in the digital age rejecting a 2005 california law that severely restricted the sale of. Like books and tv shows video games communicate ideas through familiar means such as plots and dialogue.
The law wrote judge conseulo callahan violates rights protected by the first amendment citing californias inability to demonstrate a compelling interest and arguing that less restrictive. Why did the court agree with california that video games are covered by the first amendment. The video game industry which challenged the law on first amendment grounds also maintains a voluntary ratings system for its games which can assist parents.
Entertainment merchants association 564 us. The california law would have prohibited the. Circuit court of appeals in sacramento had ruled that the law violated minors rights under the first amendment and the high court agreed.
And the california violent video game law plainly borrows from that test. This system removes the government from the equation and lets the video game manufacturers create and gamers of all ages play without government oversight and that is a win for the first amendment. The law had extended the concept of obscenity reserved for sexual materials to violent materials.
786 2011 was a landmark decision of the us supreme court that struck down a 2005 california law banning the sale of certain violent video games to children without parental supervision. Even a patently offensive pornographic work the court held is still protected by the first amendment. A book cannot be proscribed unless it is found to be utterly without redeeming social value.
Entertainment merchants association 564 us. For interested readers my column on that case can be found here perhaps the court even chose that case in particular because the students message bong hits 4 jesus was cryptic and comedic and thus. Supreme court ruled that a california law prohibiting the sale or rental of violent video games to minors violated the first amendment.