NY game retail bills pass; retailers could face felony charges
Two bills from the New York state legislature -- one backed by Republicans in the Senate and one by Democrats in the Assembly -- have been passed. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R) and Governor Eliot Spitzer have both made comments leaning toward an agreement being made between the two houses, but no further details are known.
The Assembly measure, A08696, has some strong words for game retailers who sell games with "depraved violence and indecent images," defined as "rape, dismemberment, physical torture, mutilation or evisceration of a human being." Those caught selling such games to minors will be charged with a class E felony and could be sentenced for up to four years in prison. GamePolitics reports that "it is believed this is the bill favored by [Spitzer]."
The Entertainment Merchants Association have already condemned the Assembly bill, and we expect the industry-led lawsuit against the legislation be inevitable. The current session ends June 21, so both houses will have to act pretty quickly to reach a compromise.
[Via Law of the Game]
