Cinemas in the U.K. are banning Google Glass due to fears that moviegoers will use the device to pirate films.
Since its debut in the U.K. last week, the wearable computer, which costs 1,000 pounds, has received opposition from cinema officials in Britain looking to prevent the pirating of blockbuster movies, according to The Inquirer. Despite this fear, Glass is only capable of recording 45 minutes of video before the end of its battery life.
"Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums, whether the film is playing or not," said Phil Clapp, chief executive of the Cinema Exhibitors' Association U.K. The Vue Cinema chain added that its moviegoers will be asked to take their eyewear off "as soon as the lights dim."
The use of Glass in theaters has already been an issue in the U.K., with one incident involving an early adopter being asked to remove his device at a Leicester Square cinema because staff could not determine whether or not it was recording, The Independent reported.
Members of staff at various U.K. movie theaters have been provided with a guide to spotting illegal recorders. Pirates usually sit in the middle of the theater and hide behind accomplices - children are sometimes used to hide unlawful business happening in the rows of plush seats.
Bans on Glass are being considered in other establishments, with Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group saying it is looking to "evaluate the implications, especially with regard to the effect on the cast, creative team and members of the public." Visitors at hospitals are also expected to remove their eyewear to ensure patients' privacy, The Independent reported.
Google stated that while it doesn't agree with Glass being banned in movie theaters, the device should be treated the same way mobile phones are in theaters, The Inquirer reported.
"We recommend any cinemas concerned about Glass to treat the device as they treat similar devices like mobile phones: simply ask wearers to turn it off before the film starts," a spokesperson for the search giant said. "Broadly speaking, we also think it's best to have direct and first-hand experience with Glass before creating policies around it.
"The fact that Glass is worn above the eyes and the screen lights up whenever it's activated makes it a fairly lousy device for recording things secretly."
