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Movie piracy fears lead UK cinemas to ban Google Glass in auditoriums

The Independent is reporting that UK cinemas are to ban the wearing of Glass in movie auditoriums over fears the device could be used to video films for piracy purposes – the same month Alamo Drafthouse implemented a ban in the U.S.

Phil Clapp, chief executive of the Cinema Exhibitors’ Association, said: “Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums, whether the film is playing or not.”

The Vue cinema chain said it would ask guests to remove the eyewear “as soon as the lights dim” …

This seems a trifle paranoid. Leaving aside the fact that Google deliberately made it so the screen lights up during recording, Glass owners would in any case only be able to pirate very short movies: battery-life when recording is around 45 mins …

Back in January, a Glass owner in the U.S. was questioned by Homeland Security after wearing a prescription version of Glass in a movie theatre.

Photo credit: dailyglassware.org

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