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The State of Video Game Regulation

Gamasutra is running an in-depth look at the regulation of video games in the US and other countries. They discuss the reasons for such legislation, such as child protection and intellectual property restrictions, as well as what gamers can expect to see in the coming years. "Fairfield also points out combinations of laws, which, when put together make for strange outcomes. The biggest of these, for video games, is the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. In short, gaining unauthorized access to someone's computer and doing $500 in damages opens you up for criminal charges. It's good for prosecuting hackers, but it makes for a strange fit with social networking websites and user-generated content. That fit was especially strange when prosecutors weren't quite sure how to approach the widely publicized case of Megan Meier. The 13-year-old Meier committed suicide after being deceived and bullied by another girl and her mother, Lori Drew. Unable to find a good way to approach the issue, prosecutors charged Drew under MySpace's End User License Agreement, effectively giving MySpace the power to dictate criminal law."

7 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Re:man the last election sucked by Canazza · · Score: 2, Funny

    They're not stamping on civil liberties or the individuals rights, they're trying to protect us from ourselves because we're too stupid to know better!
    I'm off to play counter-strike and plant a bomb in a non-descript the middle eastern town...

    --
    It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for being subtle.
  2. myspace legal guides .flv by retech · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, having myspace set legal precedent is a great idea. Since they do such a good job with things like css, (d)html, javascript and the like. I'm sure they'd do incredibly well in the judicial system.

    Before you freak out, please read this post as sarcastic.

  3. I for one. by stonedcat · · Score: 4, Funny

    Believe that we should start executing people for breaking their EULAs.

    It's the next logical step towards a beautiful future.

    --
    You can't take the sky from me.
  4. Boo the Dictator by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Boo the Dictator Bush at several events while dodging Sheeple, Cronies and Zombie Service agents. Victory at the end of each round is celebrated with a pitcher of ice cold beer, a big fat blunt and a porn magazine.

    Rated "E" for Everyone as everyone should know IT IS JUST A FUCKING GAME FOR CHRIST SAKE!

    Brought to you by Trollcom.

  5. Re:The Subject Is Video Games by Thanshin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can you *imagine* what the MySpace game would be like?

    I don't remember the final score, but Dante wrote a detailed review.

  6. Re:+1 Brilliant!!! by Thanshin · · Score: 4, Funny

    you don't just have to bend over and take it unless THE MAJORITY AGREES

    And usually that only happens in prisons.

    And some greek islands, if we trust some old travel books.

  7. Re:Remember, it's only inevitable by genner · · Score: 4, Funny

    photoshop for dummies: the video game.

    They did that a long time ago. It was called Mario Paint.