Actually, if you read the way the law is worded, the slashdot post is misleading. It isn't illegal to just have a camera in a theater, it is illegal to USE a recording device to copy either sound, pictures, or video in a movie theater. It's disapointing that the original post was so ignorant. And actually, piracy IS a big problem. Without protection, art is dead. That's the purpose of copyrights and patents!
Is this really so controversial? I see a lot of posts on this thread complaining about the validity of a law that makes it easier to punish someone who's stealing. Since when is being into technology (as all/. readers are) synonymous with advocating theft (as many people seem to be doing in this thread) ? Anyone over the age of eight years old would be hard pressed to feign ignorance in a situation like this. How does that one go.. "Oops, did I bring my camcorder and tripod into the theater by mistake? Hehe, sorry officer.." I don't think so. Anyone dumb enough to steal should be willing to pay the consequences.
P.S. Nobody is going to get arrested for having a phone with a still camera unless their sitting there taking pictures of the screen with it - in which case they should be.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, if you read the way the law is worded, the slashdot post is misleading. It isn't illegal to just have a camera in a theater, it is illegal to USE a recording device to copy either sound, pictures, or video in a movie theater. It's disapointing that the original post was so ignorant. And actually, piracy IS a big problem. Without protection, art is dead. That's the purpose of copyrights and patents!
Is this really so controversial? I see a lot of posts on this thread complaining about the validity of a law that makes it easier to punish someone who's stealing. Since when is being into technology (as all /. readers are) synonymous with advocating theft (as many people seem to be doing in this thread) ? Anyone over the age of eight years old would be hard pressed to feign ignorance in a situation like this. How does that one go.. "Oops, did I bring my camcorder and tripod into the theater by mistake? Hehe, sorry officer.." I don't think so. Anyone dumb enough to steal should be willing to pay the consequences.
P.S. Nobody is going to get arrested for having a phone with a still camera unless their sitting there taking pictures of the screen with it - in which case they should be.