UK Copyright Group Tells Cinemas to Ban Laptops

Sockatume writes "Cinema chain Cineworld now has a policy banning anyone from carrying a laptop into a theatre, even if it is not used. The management claims that this is an anti-piracy move on the advice of the Federation Against Copyright Theft, the much-mocked source of all kinds of dubious anti-piracy statements. When it was pointed out that the laptop had no camera, the management made a temporary exception. For customers, the message is clear: leave your laptop in the car. For pirates, the message is clear: there is more money to be made slinking around cinema car parks looking for laptop bags."

Comments

Movies

[sopssa]

It's funny they had no problems with mobile phones that certainly have good cameras now a days, but with a laptop. Oh well, maybe that changes soon too.

I'm just waiting them to take off our eyes while in movie theatre.

Re:Movies

[91degrees]

The cameras on laptops tend to be pretty cheap things that are designed for video conferencing. They'd be abysmal for recording a movie.

On the other hand, smuggling in a reasonable quality camera would be fairly easy. I dare say it would be possible to bring in a tripod as well.

According to a blog post

[Sockatume]

Important caveat, neatly snipped from the start of the post.

Idiotic

[mark-t]

Banning laptops in a theatre to stop people from recording movies in a theatre makes about as much sense as banning people from drinking if they possess a valid drivers license because they could decide to drive home (the irony that one actually usually uses a driver's license to prove one's legal drinking age notwithstanding).

Re:why would you need a laptop in a movie theater?

[langelgjm]

Maybe you live in a city and don't use a car to go to the movie theater? E.g., you're out for the day, doing some work with your laptop, now this policy means you'll have to drop off the machine at home before catching the film.

Or maybe conveniently located rentable lockers will start showing up at the theater, which you can pay to store all your potentially infringing devices. Dump your laptop, phone, and any pens or pencils which may be used to write down dialogue. Also, when you leave the theater, please make sure to stop by our convenient memory erasing station, so that you don't carry unauthorized memories out of the theater.