Oklahoma, You’re Better Than OK!

Oklahoma has issued a permanent injunction against game regulation. Honorable Robin J. Cauthron gave games the protection of free speech under the First Amendment in Oklahoma this week. The ruling was in response to a proposed law that threatened to ban “the dissemination to minors of any computer game that contains ‘inappropriate violence,’ even by a parent.”

Judge Cauthron wrote in her ruling, “There is a complete dearth of legislative findings, scientific studies or other rationale to support passage of the Act.” The ruling went on to say, “The presence of increased viewer control and interactivity does not remove these games from the release of First Amendment protection.” She also noted that under the proposed law, minors would have been free to buy the movies or books the games were based on, regardless of how much violence they contained.