Arizona bill sets sights on Game industry, Earth

[Chase]

A new Arizona bill (http://gamepolitics.com/2008/04/07/arizona-bill-worries-video-game-industry/)aims to take on the entire media industry. House Bill 2660, which passed the state House of Representatives last month, aims to make a person "liable for damages if the person produces, publishes or distributes written, audio, video or digital material" that is deemed "dangerous or obscene." Such wording could apply to books, websites, video games, movies, TV shows and Numa Numa.

While the bill sounds ridiculous to the point of fiction, it is causing many to be concerned -- for example, who decides what is dangerous and obscene? The Video Game Voters Network has issued a call to action over the bill, and representatives for the MPAA and the Arizona Newspaper Associations have taken issue with it.

If this gets passed, here's hoping it applies to the Bible. Then, let the great war of 2009 begin. Lawyers versus religious zealots. Both wiped out to the benefit of humankind. ;)

[mykevermin]

Sounds like a modern day variant of the Comstock Laws (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comstock_Law).

[Puffa469]

This will never become law.

[TC]

More wasted taxpayer $$$

[H.Cornerstone]

I am more and more ashamed to be an Arizonan by the day. First we vote for Hillary, and now THIS!!! arghh....

[lordxixor101]

Well, at least you aren't Mississippi, which tried to pass a law that wouldn't let fat people eat at restaurants. I think politicians get all full of themselves and try to pass these laws. Really, say it becomes law, it would get overruled by the courts at some point, since it's way too vague. Who decides what is dangerous? I'm sure my interpretation and others are different. Also, say it isn't sold in Arizona, you could just have Amazon ship you the stuff, are you going to jail for owning something dangerous?

It's way too wild, though it's probably something that wouldn't pass anyway.

[jamiesc]

This is just ridiculous. Government needs to take a huge step back!

[ratzombie]

Edit: Actually, from the looks of things it appears that it has already been killed by the Senate's Judiciary committee: http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/hb2660o.asp

[jamiesc]

Thanks for the update.