UK Cinemas Respond To Glass Release With A Ban

Cinemas are banning Google Glass from their premises, just a few days after the sales went off in the UK. The main motive for this action, they said, was that people might record movies with the device, and that this is mostly a measure against pirating blockbusters or other movies played in the cinemas. Therefore, before entering a cinema, Glass owners will have to put away their wearable gadgets.

The war between cinemas and potential pirates is far by being new, and it is well known that the movie industry considers pirating one of their biggest threats. Also, they have always chosen extreme ways to deal with it.

Over a decade ago, when it all started, people used to bring along small handheld cameras in the cinemas. At the time, these devices were easier to notice because they were big enough to realize if someone is using one. But nowadays, with all the tiny cameras and spying kits out there, things just get harder and harder.

And apparently, Google Glass is the next pirating method that threatens the movie industry. A few months ago, the FBI took out of a theatre from Columbus Ohio a man that was wearing Glass, on the motive that he was using his wearable device to illegally record the movie. The FBI responded to a call made by the theatre employees, whom were convinced that the man did so, but he didn’t.

It seems that Britain is embracing the Glass concept a big slower and more restrictive than the Americans. Google Glass is being sold in the US for a quite a while now and besides specific cases, there were no firm regulation applied in this situation.

Philip Clap, CEO of Cinemas Exhibitors’ Association declared for the Independent that clients will be asked to not wear Glass in the theatre, regardless to whether it’s on, off or if the movie isn’t yet on.

Every Glass wearer that will come to Leicester Square Cinema will be instructed on how to stow his or her device. So, if you’re usually wearing prescription lenses, then you should also bring a regular pair of glasses, because you won’t be allowed to use Glass inside.

FACT, the movie industry group is convinced that wearable devices that have HD cameras are a huge convenient for movie pirates. Therefore, they are working with cinemas everywhere to prevent movies from being pirated.

And the efforts put against cinema movie pirates have paid off. Back in 2012, none off the pirated movies came from UK cinemas, and it is well known that trying to record a movie in a British cinema theatre is useless.

In 2013, cinema staff helped the police to take in custody five people, while none others got away with a warning. As appreciation for their hard work and dedication, the cinema staff involved in this action received money rewards of up to £500 from the Film Distributors’ Association.