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Entertainment Software Association Statement on Amicus Briefs Filed on Behalf of California to the U.S. Supreme Court
JULY 19, 2010 – Washington, DC – The following statement was issued today by Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers, in response to the amicus briefs filed on behalf of California to the Supreme Court in the case Schwarzenegger v. EMA/Entertainment Software Association:
“Many of the amicus briefs filed on behalf of the state of California largely, and predictably, contain mistaken information about computer and video games and our industry. First, the computer and video game industry empowers parents with tools and information so they can control what games their children enjoy. The Federal Trade Commission hailed the video game industry as having the strongest self-regulatory code of any sector of the entertainment industry. Coupled with the robust parental controls available on every single video game console sold today and retailers‟ strong commitment to preventing inappropriate sales, the industry itself is already addressing the issue that today‟s amicus briefs claim to be motivated by.
“Second, the amicus briefs rely on flawed scientific data. Objective researchers have found that there is simply is no scientific research that validates a causal link between computer and video games and harm to minors. One of the reasons the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals ruled the California law unconstitutional was its finding that the state „has not produced substantial evidence…that violent video games cause psychological or neurological harm to minors.‟
“In their 2008 book, Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth about Video Games and What Parents Can Do, Harvard Medical School psychology professors Lawrence Kutner, PH.D., and Cheryl K. Olson, M.P.H., Sc.D., wrote: 'The strong link between video game violence and real world violence, and the conclusion that video games lead to social isolation and poor interpersonal skills, are drawn from bad or irrelevant research, muddleheaded thinking and unfounded, simplistic news reports.'”
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