EMA recaps its 2008 activities
Entertainment Merchants Assn. legislative update for December
By Cheryl Cheng -- Video Business, 1/6/2009
JAN. 6 | The following summarizes key government affairs activities during December of the Entertainment Merchants Assn.
• 2008 Recap: In 2008, EMA tracked and took action on 186 federal and state measures, which included the federal anti-piracy bill (S. 3325), the Massachusetts videogame restriction law (House Bill 1423), the federal Videogame Ratings Enforcement Act (H.R. 5990/S. 3315), the New Mexico special tax on videogames (House Bill 583), the Wisconsin secondhand goods bill (Assembly Bill 301), the Minnesota videogame restriction law (ESA v. Swanson) and the Indiana registration law (Big Hat Books v. Prosecutors). The New York law requiring videogame ratings to be conspicuously displayed (Assembly Bill 11717) was passed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has yet to decide on the VSDA v. Schwarzenegger case, which involves a California videogame restriction law.
• 2257 Regulations: The U.S. Department of Justice has issued its revised regulations for recordkeeping of adult product. The 2257 and 2257A regulations implement a 2006 law that requires recordkeeping for depictions of “lascivious exhibition of the genitals” and “simulated sexually explicit conduct.” The regulations are effective Jan. 17.
