According to a Bloomberg report, The Entertainment Software Association spent around $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2011 on lobbying efforts in Washington D.C. The trade group that represent the interactive entertainment industry in North America spent that money on lobbying federal agencies and Congress on the regulation of game content, international trade, the First Amendment and other issues, according to a disclosure report. The ESA (as a participant alongside the Entertainment Merchants Association) scored a victory Monday when the Supreme Court struck down the 2005 California law banning the sale and rental of violent video games to minors.
Between January and March the ESA lobbied Congress on piracy, intellectual property enforcement and fought against a bill that would require warning labels to be put on mature-rated, violent video games. The group also supported green cards for skilled foreign workers and the H1-B visa program, which allows foreign workers to work temporarily in specialized positions and those requiring advanced degrees.
All told, the ESA lobbied Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the State, Homeland Security and Commerce. The data comes from a report filed April 20 with the House clerk's office.
Source: Bloomberg
