Used CD Legislation Slows Used Game Sales
 

Stricter laws in Florida and Utah aim to hamper the sale of used merchandise such as CDs and video games, with similar legislation underway in Wisconsin and Rhode Island. Typical pawn shop laws require retailers to hold used merchandise for a set amount of days before selling it and to acquire some basic information on the person who sold it back. Such a process is meant to stem the trafficking of stolen goods and facilitate the ease with which authorities track thieves and return stolen items to owners. Florida's new legislation goes well beyond the measures of a traditional pawn shop law. The state now requires all retailers selling second-hand CDs to acquire a permit and invest in a $10,000 security bond through the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Stores must fingerprint individuals trading in CDs, copy their state identification, and pay them only in store credit; traded CDs must be held for 30 days before being resold. With the new legislation already in effect, at least one retailer is reported to have discontinued sales of used items as a result. Pawn shop laws in many other states, which tend to be less restrictive than those in Florida and Utah, often go unenforced.

Well there's your video game lobbying at work. Like the video game industry doesnt make enough money already, now they want to further "enhance" your gameplay. This law is aimed at nothing other than hurting retailers who sell cheap games and which doesnt help the video game industries bottom line enough. I dont think anyone executive at EA games has gone hungry for a long time.