Overview

Gamers and game developers breathed a sigh of relief on 27 June 2011 when the US Supreme Court delivered its long-awaited opinion in Brown v Entertainment Merchants Association, striking down a California law that banned the sale or rental of violent video games to minors.

However, the opinion affects more than just minors and those who profit from the sale of games — more generally, it reaffirms the Court’s strict First Amendment jurisprudence and issues a warning to legislators wishing to impose content regulations.

This briefing from Latham & Watkins looks in detail at the case's background, the Court's decision and the implications for the lucrative US video game industry.

Click 'View Briefing' to read more.