Utah Senate OKs Sanctions on Sales of M-rated Games to Minors

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on March 13, 2009 - 10:49am.

Salt Lake City, Utah - The Utah Senate this week passed a bill that would fine retailers who sold M-rated video games to minors, if they had previously advertised that they would not do so, Ars Technica reported.

If the bill is signed into law by Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., retail clerks who work at a store that has advertised it doesn't sell M-rated games to minors, who are found doing so, would first have to undergo a training on the issue.

Then, if a retail store is found to have committed a second offense, it could be subject to fines.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), a trade group of U.S. video game publishers, opposes bill, as does the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), which sets video game ratings.

"While the intent of this legislation would be to hold retailers accountable for compliance with their stated policies -- presumably in that negligible 6 percent of instances where they fail to comply -- the unfortunate reality is that it would introduce a liability that will likely force many retailers to seriously consider abandoning their voluntary policies and ratings education programs, undoing years of progress made on behalf of parents and their children," ESRB president Patricia Vance wrote in an open letter to proponents of the legislation.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/dr7ma (Ars Technica)