The ESA board must have been reduced to tears of joy yesterday - to them, I'm sure, they now believe there is a god. This week, the Swedish court has found the four operators of torrent site The Pirate Bay guilty as charged for copyright infringement and illegal activities (digitally distributing illegal copies of games and media content). Of course, ESA is more than happy with this victory against the ongoing war on piracy - so happy, in fact, that they had to come up with an official press release about it!

Recent documents being passed around Congress and the PotUS office [insert West Wing red tape montage here] gave birth to a new anti-piracy bill which was signed into law as the "Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008" or, in short, PRO-IP. Back in the ESA offices, Michael Gallagher couldn't be any happier.

More unhappy predictions for ESA, the organization behind the annual E3 convention. Hal Halpin, head and founder of the ECA (a non-profit organization dedicated to the interests of gamers), believes that more companies are likely to leave the ESA. Sounds like E3 is headed for some tough times. More in the full article.

Although a few major players will be absent, E3 is still on! Over 30 studios will be there to exhibit their games, even Electronic Arts and Take-Two Interactive who are currently at loggerheads. Check out the full list of exhibitors in the full article.

A lot sure has been said over the proposed Video Game Ratings Bill, and it certainly is far from over. Now releasing a statement is ESA CEO Michael Gallagher, and he deems this proposed policy is unconstitutional. Check out what he said regarding the matter over at the full article.

During the DICE Summit, Michael Gallagher, CEO and new president of the ESA, told the audience that the video games industry has become mainstream.

It all started with Pong, the game industry has finally arrived with games reaching millions of households in the US and throughout the rest if the world. Details of his speech in the full article.

As expected, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has filed a notice of appeal to the recent decision of courts that declared California's video game violence law unconstitutional. According to the said bill signed back in 2005, the sale of video games is restricted to anyone below 18 years of age. The Governor explained:

Many studies show the link between plagying ultra-violent video games and violent behavior. We have a responsibility to our kids and our communities to protect against the effects of games that depict ultra-violent actions. We protect our children from buying inappropriate movies and ought to be able to protect them from buying inappropriate video games as well.

In a counter move, the Entertainment Software Association or ESA has filed a motion to Judge Ronald M. Whyte of the Northern District of California for the reimbursement of attorney fees and other expenses during the trial from Schwarzenegger. The amount bring asked by the association totals US$ 324,480. ESA President Michael Gallagher had this to say:

California citizens should be outraged at their elected leaders. Hard-earned tax dollars were spent on defending this law that California's state leaders knew was unconstitutional... From early on, the industry warned Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Yee that this bill was unconstitutional and would be thrown out by the courts and that California taxpayers would pay the cost.

Both the ESA and the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) believe that the governor's appeal is going to be a disappointment as other rulings on prior similar cases are consistent with the decision of the California courts. EMA President Bo Andersen gave this piece of advice to Governor Schwarzenegger:

The court's ruling is consistent with rulings that have barred eight similar laws around the nation, and we fully expect it to be upheld on appeal. Rather than wasting more public funds in trying to defend a patently unconstitutional law, we believe the state should invest in helping parents make informed decisions about the video games brought into their homes.

Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today that it has finally found the replacement for former president Doug Lowenstein in the person of Michael D. Gallagher.

Prior to this, the trade group representing U.S. computer and video game publishers went without a leader for almost five months. Gallagher used to be the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information is currently the Communications Practice chair at leading international law firm Perkins Coie.

His academic background includes a degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley as well as Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles. ESA Board of Directors Chair Robbie Bach had this to say:

Mike's outstanding technology, policy, and government relations experience makes him a strong fit for the ESA, where issues like intellectual property, self-regulation, and industry social and economic contributions are at the forefront of the agenda.

It should be remembered that Lowenstein fired some shots at the DICE Summit saying that he is sick and tired of the people in the video game industry sitting on their hands and letting others do the hard work. The former president was particularly articulate about the seeming lack of participation by the industry in pushing for video game-related legislation.

Despite the scathing comments from the ESA's former head, it looks like Gallagher is quite happy and excited to man the position. Here's what the newly-named president, who will begin his term later this month, said:

It is a privilege to represent the dynamic entertainment software industry. From consoles and PCs to handhelds and broadband enabled cell phones -- the business is poised for tremendous growth. I look forward to working with federal and state leaders to foster an environment where the industry and its consumers can thrive.