In a 7 – 2 decision the United States Supreme Court ruled the California Video Game Violence law unconstitutional.
The decisive decision means that governments cannot restrict the sale of violent video games to minors. It also confirms in the eyes of the law that video games are a form of expression, and thus protected by the First Amendment.
This ruling doesn’t mean that stores can’t choose to restrict the sale of violent games to children… Not that any sensible parent would put their child’s development in the hands of the asshole behind the counter at Gamestop.
This is a huge victory for defenders of the First Amendment. I’m hoping that it stops recurring censorship bullshit (comic books in the 50’s, music in the 80’s, music in the 90’s, and video games in the 00’s), but I’m pretty sure that this is just a setback for the evil bastards who like to legislatively meddle with others’.
Nevertheless, tonight I’m celebrating the victory.
Techdirt has a great breakdown of the decision, as well as the full text of said decision.
The Geek Whisperer 