Federal Issues
ESA's Federal Government Affairs (FGA) staff works with the government at all levels to make the voice of its members heard on a wide range of important legislative and public policy issues. ESA meets with Members of Congress and congressional staff, as well as with Administrative officials to advocate our industry's position on issues ranging from copyright and intellectual property concerns to First Amendment protection. The following is some background information on a few of the legislative and policy issues important to our industry:
Copyright Protection Issues
ESA member companies depend upon strong enforcement of copyright laws to protect their works. Ensuring that harmful copyright legislation is not enacted has been and remains one of ESA's highest priorities. ESA was an active participant in the public policy debate that culminated in enactment of the historic Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Legislative efforts to weaken the DMCA will continue to be vigorously opposed by ESA.
Today, copyright protection is being assailed from many different angles. Bills are repeatedly introduced in both the House and Senate that would destroy our member companies' ability to adequately protect their intellectual property. Accordingly, ESA continues to be actively involved in any congressional debate on issues affecting the DMCA, the Copyright Act, and digital technologies that pose a significant and direct threat to the copyright protected works of our members.
ESA staff also spends a considerable amount of time advocating for copyright legislation that is favorable to the video game industry, which will enable ESA member companies to protect their intellectual property and further invest in the creation of entertainment products that will be enjoyed by millions of consumers. For more information on ESA's positions on these issues, please click here.
Regulation of Violence in the Media
ESA opposes efforts to regulate the content of entertainment media in any form, including proposals to criminalize the sale of certain video games to minors; create uniform, government-sanctioned entertainment rating systems; or regulate the marketing practices of industry. ESA supports strengthening voluntary retailer enforcement of existing ratings systems. For a complete look at ESA's positions on these issues, please click here.
To read more about this issue, please read the following CRS report: Constitutionality of Proposals to Prohibit the Sale or Rental to Minors of Video Games with Violent or Sexual Content or "Strong Language".
Trade
ESA Congressional Relations staff works with Congress and the Administration to make the voice of its members heard on trade-related issues. In particular, ESA supports the efforts of the United States Trade Representative to obtain commitments from foreign countries for strong intellectual property protection and enforcement when negotiating free-trade agreements.
Other Important Industry Issues
ESA actively monitors legislative initiatives regarding issues such as:
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