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In an article the other day , we mentioned that Nintendo, EA and Sony’s game divisions no longer appeared on the list of official supporters for SOPA. As it turns out, that’s because these companies, along with Microsoft, never officially endorsed the bill to begin with. Instead, their names were signed to a letter from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that expressed support, to Congress, for a bill like SOPA that would offer powers of intellectual property protection. That the letter was sent out before SOPA was put on the table indicates agreement with the concept behind the bill, if not its execution. The ESA, however, has officially endorsed the bill and, as the official lobbyists for the gaming industry in the United States, all members of the group are considered supporters by association alone. They have offered a statement explaining their support, which boils down to what they perceive as a need to prevent the illegal sharing of intellectual property that their member companies have produced, and that it hurts the economy. Specifically, though, this sentence rings hollow: “We look forward to working with the House and Senate, and all interested parties, to find the right balance and define useful remedies to combat willful wrongdoers that do not impede lawful product and business model innovation.” 
By Shelby Reiches |