California, one of the most budget-strapped states in the US, is reimbursing the Entertainment Software Association $1.3 million for court costs. That’s the high price of losing the battle to ban the sale of violent video games to minors. In July 2011, the United States Supreme Court ruled the controversial law unconstitutional.

The highest court in the land has weighed in on video game-related law and it’s a huge win for the game industry.

The United States Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that a proposed California law making it a crime to sell violent games to minors is unconstitutional. Justice Anton Scalia said the law is in direct conflict with the First Amendment, citing some of the same laws that protect books and movies. Although games are a new media, Scalia wrote, the rules governing free expression do not change.

Gamers in Vietnam are going to find their evenings to be lacking by the beginning of March. At the request of the Ministry of Information and Communication, internet service providers in the country are asked to prohibit online gaming between the hours of 10pm to 8am.

Today is a huge day in the United States. There is an election going on that will determine which political party will be in control of many branches of government. The Supreme Court is also holding a hearing that will determine whether the States will be able to decide which videogames are too violent to be sold to minors. There is currently a 72 page transcript from the hearing available. We picked out some of the highlights that reflect both sides of the argument.

Have you ever wondered how Microsoft managed to keep Kinect’s official name hidden from the public for so long? One would think it would be a simple matter of uncovering a trademark – and it is. Just yesterday we reported on EA and how a domain name was discovered for Dead Space Sabotage. EA clearly wasn’t ready to announce this new project, but they can’t legally hide their trademarks from the public record. Microsoft knew that trademark leaks happen all the time and took extra precautions to make sure no one could reveal Kinect before E3.

Up until now videogames have been protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California proposed a law that would make it illegal for retailers to sell or rent violent videogames to persons under 18 years old. The Entertainment Consumers Association feels such a law is unconstitutional and should be struck down. The 9th Circuit Court of California recently agreed that videogames should be protected under the rights of free speech.

In Iowa, a 32-year-old man may spend 20 years in prison for possession of Japanese manga and will face penalties under the PROTECT Act (18 U.S.C. Section 1466A). Christopher Handley is still in big trouble because of the manga he purchased from Japan in May 2006 that the government claimed was obscene and depicted minors engaged in sexual acts.

Luckily for Handley, he no longer has to face the court system alone as the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has decided to provide their expertise as a consultant to the defense and provide funds for use to support in obtaining…

Dogs and cats are living together. Rainbows are everywhere. Jack Thompson has been permanently disbarred.

The Florida lawyer, who is best known to gamers as that dern lawyer who keeps hatin’ on our fun, was disbarred yesterday (September 25, 2008). The disbarment begins 30 days from yesterday so he can close out his practice, so expect some last-minute antics if not long-term appeals (which needs to be submitted by a lawyer in good standing with the Florida Bar – good luck). He’s also to pay $43,675 in Florida Bar fees.

Thompson sent Kotaku a copy of an emergency motion he filed with the court and a…

Not much can make the heart race like doing something you know you’re not supposed to be doing. Perhaps that is why so many games rely on big-time crimes to provide adrenalin-boosting activities – stealing cars, massive property damage and murder.

Although videogames do allow people to partake in ethically questionable activities without actually hurting anyone or anything, not all illegal activities would make good games.

In the spirit of Grand Theft Auto, here are a few theoretical games with illegal activities for names that would simply never sell (which should make at least a few parents happy)…

Minnesota is another state in a long series that has passed video game legislation only to have it mercilessly beaten down by the US court system. The Minnesota law was a little unusual in that it would have fined game purchasers rather than retailers. Children age seventeen or younger trying to buy a Mature-rated video game (or an Adults Only game, if you can find a store that sells them) would face a $25 fine for the transgression.

It was struck down first by a US District Court judge back in July 2006, then finished off for good by a…