Appeals Court Upholds Injunction on Illinois Video Game Law

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 28, 2006 - 2:41pm.

Chicago - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has upheld a lower court ruling that declared an Illinois law banning the sale of sexually explicit games to minors in the state to be unconstitutional.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich ordered an appeal of parts of the 2005 injunction on the law, which among other things would have required sexually explicit games to feature a four-inch square "18" label on the box.

"We are obviously pleased that the appeals court has totally vindicated our position and repudiated the politically motivated claims made by the governor," said Doug Lowenstein, president of the game industry's Entertainment Software Association. "It is truly outrageous that the state, in the face of mounting legal fees, pursued this appeal thus adding further to the more than half a million dollars in court ordered legal fees it stuck on Illinois taxpayers."

The Associated Press reported that the state has yet to pay the game industry's $510,260 bill for attorney's fees, as was ordered by the lower court. U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kennelly is set to rule next month on whether to set a deadline to compel the state to pay up.

Related Links:
http://gamepolitics.com/2006/11/28/illinois-loses-video-game-law-appeal
http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/news/?id=14556
http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/151030,blago112706.article (AP)
http://www.theesa.com