NC Senator Failed at Legislating Content, Now Proposes a Tax Break for Developers
NC Senator Failed at Legislating Content, Now Proposes a Tax Break for Developers
March 11, 2009
An interesting legislative turnabout is underway in North Carolina.
A state senator who twice in the past introduced bills designed to restrict the sales of mature-themed games to minors has now proposed that the state offer financial incentives to game developers.
Yesterday, Sen. Julia Boseman (D) introduced S525, a new bill that would permit game developers to take advantage of a tax credit of up to 15% for qualifying expenses.
While the measure does not restrict M-rated games as did an earlier proposal in Oklahoma, it does preclude material which qualifies as "obscene" under North Carolina law:
Limitation. – No credit is allowed under this section for qualifying expenses with respect to digital interactive media that contain material that is obscene, as defined in G.S. 14-190.1.
In past sessions, Sen. Boseman introduced bills designed to restrict sales of mature games to minors in 2005 and 2007. Both measures failed to pass.
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Crispy Gamer
GamePolitics ShoutBox
Posted 03/17/10 at 06:23pm
FlakAttack: News from Canada: Conservatives launch protest against proposed "digital media recorder" levy
FlakAttack: News from Canada: Conservatives launch protest against proposed "digital media recorder" levy
Posted 03/17/10 at 05:09pm
ZippyDSMlee: Devrys online corses are about 5-7 grand a year I think.
ZippyDSMlee: Devrys online corses are about 5-7 grand a year I think.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:40pm
Valdearg: @Zip: Not exclusively Online, I don't think. And it's like 17,000 a year, to attend. Not worth it, IMO.
Valdearg: @Zip: Not exclusively Online, I don't think. And it's like 17,000 a year, to attend. Not worth it, IMO.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:25pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:do they have online corses?
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:do they have online corses?
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:22pm
Valdearg: Fun. For what it's worth, at ITT, it was 8 Week Quarters.
Valdearg: Fun. For what it's worth, at ITT, it was 8 Week Quarters.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:10pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:looky here, http://forums.theeca.com/showthread.php?t=8590
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:looky here, http://forums.theeca.com/showthread.php?t=8590
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:09pm
ZippyDSMlee: Valdearg:So force our nobles in charge to re join normal sosicty is unrealistic?
ZippyDSMlee: Valdearg:So force our nobles in charge to re join normal sosicty is unrealistic?
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:08pm
Valdearg: Instead of thinking about these fanciful notions of how things should work in your world, you should be thinking how can we realistically fix the problems with our current system. Small steps mean progress, big leaps are usually defeated.
Valdearg: Instead of thinking about these fanciful notions of how things should work in your world, you should be thinking how can we realistically fix the problems with our current system. Small steps mean progress, big leaps are usually defeated.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:07pm
Valdearg: @Zip: Thinking realistically is the first step to bettering yourself. :P
Valdearg: @Zip: Thinking realistically is the first step to bettering yourself. :P
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:06pm
ZippyDSMlee: They should be treated as part of society not nobility and I have been labeled an incompetent so I can haz my monies, not like its enough to live on....going to be fun when I start devry in a few years.....
ZippyDSMlee: They should be treated as part of society not nobility and I have been labeled an incompetent so I can haz my monies, not like its enough to live on....going to be fun when I start devry in a few years.....
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:04pm
ZippyDSMlee: House/senate/P/VP do not need to be paid , they also should be blocked from working with any industry thats attached to government(even lowest contract bids) after office.
ZippyDSMlee: House/senate/P/VP do not need to be paid , they also should be blocked from working with any industry thats attached to government(even lowest contract bids) after office.
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:02pm
ZippyDSMlee: Also survive<live
ZippyDSMlee: Also survive<live
Posted 03/17/10 at 04:00pm
ZippyDSMlee: They do not need to be paid, the fame,influence,back scratching, free security and reduced housing is all they need to live and work.They live far to far away from society to be charged with its governance....
ZippyDSMlee: They do not need to be paid, the fame,influence,back scratching, free security and reduced housing is all they need to live and work.They live far to far away from society to be charged with its governance....
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:59pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:If I had the millions they did on average I would not need my check to survive.
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:If I had the millions they did on average I would not need my check to survive.
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:57pm
Valdearg: So, you want congress to work for free while you don't work and get paid.. Sounds totally logical.
Valdearg: So, you want congress to work for free while you don't work and get paid.. Sounds totally logical.
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:56pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag: Goverment needs an overhaul not absolute destruction tho I dubt it would be changed any other way >>.
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag: Goverment needs an overhaul not absolute destruction tho I dubt it would be changed any other way >>.
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:55pm
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:Only if congress stops taking their checks :P
ZippyDSMlee: Vlag:Only if congress stops taking their checks :P
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:41pm
Valdearg: @Zip: Tell you what. How about you be the first to forsake government. You want to neuter it, how about you stop cashing those SSD Checks you receive every month. I mean, if Government is bad, then clearly, that money is corrupt.
Valdearg: @Zip: Tell you what. How about you be the first to forsake government. You want to neuter it, how about you stop cashing those SSD Checks you receive every month. I mean, if Government is bad, then clearly, that money is corrupt.
Posted 03/17/10 at 03:08pm
ZippyDSMlee: Can we neuter government first before we fix health care?
ZippyDSMlee: Can we neuter government first before we fix health care?
Posted 03/17/10 at 02:33pm
Andrew Eisen: I just skimmed the article but it doesn't appear the survey was made up, just that it was sourced incorrectly.
Andrew Eisen: I just skimmed the article but it doesn't appear the survey was made up, just that it was sourced incorrectly.
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Comments
Actually, her prior legislations didn't "fail". They were just never given the unneccesary time to be looked over and she knew there were more important things on the agenda, so they were never pushed for.
Also, remember that a certain someone claimed to have drafted at least the first version of those prior bills. And, who knows, maybe they did the second but seeing such bills fail, didn't want to own up to it.
Also, the restrictions on this new bill seems out of place with her stance on similar incentives for the movie industry in NC. Another senator opposed tax incentives for development of movies that contained certain content and Senator Boseman opposed those restrictions. Yet, here, she supports them. I emailed her some time back asking her about the interview in which she opposed restrictions to the movie industry incentives, but hadn't heard back. Perhaps this is why.
Her inconsistant stance is rather mind numbing.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Nightwng2000 has also updated his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/nightwing2000 Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Considering obsene material is already (by definition) illegal, what is the point of exluding it? That is a bit like saying 'we will give tax breaks to photography studios as long as they don't make kiddy porn' or 'we will give tax breaks to horror movie production as long as actors are not actually murdered for the film'.
Ah, that answers my question, "what is obscene?" The illegal stuff, okay. What a silly addition.
It makes sense to add the exclusion. It may be illegal to sell the content, but if they do not specify that producers of said content are inelligible from the beginning, they cannot legally deny incentives to producers of such content.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
So wait, they're allowed to produce it but not allowed to sell it? o_o
Most states have laws regulating the production of obscene material. I just felt that it is necessary to include those provisions.
In Oklahoma the movie tax incentives apply for all movie productions except for those that fall under illegal or obscene standards as defined by law.
It makes sense to not want to be seen as supporting illegal activity in any way.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
So, could one still qualify for a tax break if one produced legal pornography?
AS long as it is not considered obscene under the states obscenity laws and meets all other requirements, yes.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
It depends on your definition of "pornography". Nudie pics aren't legally obscene, but they could be seen as pornographic....
Speaking to the rest of these comments, obscenity is not in and of itself illegal--although it may be regulated. A state may never prohibit ownership of obscene material by adults (with exceptions like child porn), but it may drastically limit production, distribution, etc.
www.gameslaw.net
I remember that after I commented yesterday about politicians abondoning their stated principles due to the bad economy, somebody, after calling me a troll, asked me what I based my assertion on. I was pissed, so I didn't answer them then. I would just like to say now, case in fucking point.
---------------------------------
Internet troll > internet paladin
I don't believe her stance here is inherently hypocritical. The view that violent video games shouldn't be sold to minors isn't incompatible with generally encouraging game development within your state. Even E-rated games are damn good for your economy.
www.gameslaw.net