Congressman Declares War on US Software Companies
Children's and Educational Programs Endangered

US Representative Tom Lantos (D-Calif) has declared war on small American
software businesses. In a public hearing held in San Franciso on May 21,
Lantos reaffirmed his support for the establishment of an expensive
private bureaucracy for the purpose of applying ratings to computer games,
even if it means the destruction of hundreds of small companies. This plan
would be administered by the Interactive Digital Software Association
(IDSA), an organization created by a few giant video game manufacturers.

The IDSA plan would require the publishers of computer games to produce and
submit videotapes, pay processing fees of $500 or more, and await review
by a secret committee before they could release products in the
marketplace. In contrast to this plan, four major trade associations,
representing over 3000 businesses, are in the process of developing a
standardized ratings system that could be quickly and accurately applied
to software as part of the development process, and which would impose no
fees on the publishers.

Although the IDSA plan has been heavily criticized by the trade
associations, and has not yet started operation, Lantos, along with
senators Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn) and Herbert Kohl (D-Wisc), has already
sent letters on congressional letterhead to major retailers, urging them
to purchase software only from businesses which submit to the IDSA plan.

According to software industry spokesperson Karen Crowther, the costs and
delays of the IDSA plan would be devastating to many small and
entrepreneurial software businesses which produce children's and
educational software. Lantos' response was that "protecting our children"
is more important than the survival of these companies. Ironically,
Nintendo and Sega, billion-dollar companies and major proponents of the
IDSA plan, publish "Mortal Kombat", the game most often cited by Lantos in
his campaign against "filthy and disgusting" video games.

Rosemary West, president of the Educational Software Cooperative (ESC),
representing over 50 companies, said "If implemented, the IDSA plan would
actually prevent distribution of many wholesome, educational games,
because the smaller developers simply cannot afford these unnecessary
costs."

Crowther added that the IDSA plan would assist foreign-owned Nintendo and
Sega in "crushing their smaller, U.S. competition" and asked, "Why is
Lantos supporting an anti-competitive ratings system instead of one
developed by our own games publishers?" She pointed out that callers
requesting information from Lantos' office are given the phone number for
IDSA's Washington lobbyist.

For more information, contact:

Karen Crowther
Redwood Games
P.O. Box 892
Mendocino, CA 95460
Voice/Fax: 707 937-3320;  CompuServe: 71501,3553

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