The UK is banning Google Glass from cinemas out of fear the technology will be used for movie piracy.
Google’s fancy new eyeglasses, which allow users to read their email, browse the web, and record images, are now considered a sneaky way to record films still in theaters and then sell them on the internet.
Phil Clapp, chief executive of the UK Cinema Exhibitors’ Association, believes that pretty much anyone who enters a cinema while wearing Google Glass will be pirating films.
“Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums, whether the film is playing or not,” Clapp told the Independent.
The Federation Against Copyright Theft, which is actively working to avoid cinema piracy, told TorrentFreak.com that advancements in technology only make it easier for illegal activity across all spectrums.
“Developments in technology have led to smaller, more compact devices which have the capability to record sound and vision, including most mobile phones. FACT works closely with cinema operators and distributors to ensure that best practice is carried out to prevent and detect illegal recordings taking place,” FACT said.
Even in the U.S., cinemas have reacted aggressively toward Google Glass-wearers. Earlier this year in Columbus, Ohio, a man wearing Google Glass while at a movie with his wife was forced to leave the premises after the tech was forcibly ripped off his face.
“I was surprised by this and as I was obviously just having a nice Saturday evening night out with my wife and not taping anything whether legally or illegally, I tried to explain that this is a misunderstanding,” the man told Gadgeteer.
With a man already accosted for wearing Google Glass to a movie in the U.S., it won’t be surprising if the U.S. follows the UK’s lead and bans Glass from movie theaters.