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MPAA Bans Google Glass In Theaters
An anonymous reader writes: The Motion Picture Association of America, along with the National Association of Theater Owners, have banned Google Glass and similar devices from being in movie theaters. They said, "As part of our continued efforts to ensure movies are not recorded in theaters, however, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward using any recording device while movies are being shown. As has been our long-standing policy, all phones must be silenced and other recording devices, including wearable devices, must be turned off and put away at show time. Individuals who fail or refuse to put the recording devices away may be asked to leave." This is a change from the MPAA's stance earlier this year that Glass was "no threat" in terms of copyright infringement. A spokesman said the ban is geared toward combating more sophisticated wearables in the future.
Of course, I'm not sure what the value of crappy, head mounted recording it going to be, or how much it devalues the product.
I agree you shouldn't be recording the stuff in a movie theater, but a head mounted recording it going to have limited sound quality, is going to move around as the watcher does, and you'll probably hear them eating popcorn.
Do crappy recordings like this actually get watched and cut into DVD sales? I sure as heck wouldn't be interested in watching one of these, and I want my full surround sound in my home theater, not some dodgy stereo recording of the sounds inside the movie theater.
This sounds like it would be like watching Mystery Science Theater 3000, but without the good stuff.
I've never seen one of these recordings (I've never actually downloaded a movie, except for digital copies I've bought) -- but I can't imagine they're worth watching.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Just to add,
This isn't a future issue. I have prescription frames that I use with my Google Glass. Those glasses are my only glasses with my current prescription. The Google Glass is actually one arm of the frame, so you can't remove it and still use the glasses. To tell me that I can not wear the Google Glass in the theatre means that it would eliminate my mechanism to correct my near-sightedness.
I am happy to turn the Glass off at a movie. I do the same at other performances that do not allow videos/photos. My cellphone is turned off. Why do I have to remove my glasses completely? It is okay though. I will stay at home instead. Someday we all will have something similar to Google Glass. It may not seem like it and it may have to come from someone other than Google, but the experience and benefits will one day compel us all as the cell phone does today.
Yes, you've been told it's not theft, but your basic premise of "I don't want you doing X on private property" still stands as legitimate (doubly so when the X isn't something like "being of X religion"). If theatres and the MPAA don't want google glass in their cinemas, they are OK to do so, and I'm OK not to go there.
However, frankly, does it really surprise anyone that the MPAA/theatre would rather you not bring recording devices into the theatre, even if they're not very good recording devices?
So lets see what evidence we have.
Given Hollywood accounting means no movie ever makes a profit, whether cam'd or not, this appears to show that they lose no profits from anything outside.
Bugger all evidence from you.
So HOW THE FUCK do you come up with the "thought" that they would lose money???
That still doesn't mean it equates 1:1 to *lost ticket sales*, especially as TBP and other mainstream *rrent sites are a global audience.
As someone who works in the content industries (I am a musician and 3D animator & VFX guy) I care less about the 'poor unwashed masses' consuming movies and music early in release schedule via *rrents for ticket sales reasons, and care more about people being able to experience creative works with some kind of quality control in place. Which imo is the same reason people care about cel phones going off in a theatre. As a content producer though cams and crappy mp3's are only going to worsen the experience regardless of how good or poor a script or composition may be. Quality control is paramount...
Thus it follows that MPAA is trying to insure that only HIGH QUALITY cams are created, none of that horribly low res head-shake-vomit-inducing cams for the proletariat thank you very much! (/sarcasm)