Video games recently won a huge victory in its rights. Back in July, the Supreme Court ruled that a proposed law that would have regulated the sales and rental of computer games to minors. In doing so, they would be taking rights from games that have not been taken from any other form of media, like movies and music (these are self-regulated). It was a major step forward in protecting games.
Now, we are looking at something even worse. SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) doesn't just have to do with games but with all media. If the bill passed, organizations would have the power to censor and block websites showing anything they see as a violation of their copyright. It isn't a stretch to say that this could change the face of the Internet for years to come.
The ESA (Entertainment Software Association) was a key player in the July rulings. They stood their ground and supported video games in the trial, earning them a victory in the end. Imagine my surprise when I read that they are actually supporting SOPA instead of opposing it.
I could cite the bullshit reasons they give for wanting to support it, things like "we believe in protecting copyrights" and all that. It doesn't really matter. All that matters is now they are on the wrong side. Most of the companies they represent are being dragged along with this too. It is a chilling blow to the opposition of SOPA and I hope things don't get any worse.
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