Glass has only been up for sale for a week and it has already been banned

Jun 30, 2014 11:56 GMT  ·  By

Google Glass has barely made it into the United Kingdom and some are already showing hostility against the wearable device from the world’s largest Internet company.

It looks like the Brits were prepared for the “dangers” of having Google Glass around because the country’s cinemas have announced a blanket ban on the gadget.

Recently, a chain of cinemas in the United States took a similar decision, albeit at a much smaller scale, so the idea that cinemas are scared of Google Glass shouldn’t come as a surprise. In fact, earlier this year, the feds dragged a man from a movie theater when the staff presumed that he was pirating the movie when he had actually shut off the device and was using it for the prescription lenses it came with.

“Customers will be requested not to wear these into cinema auditoriums, whether the film is playing or not,” said Phill Clapp, top exec of the Cinema Exhibitor’s Association.

A warning has already been issued to a Google Glass wearer at a cinema in Leicester Square and more are expected to follow, which means that those who use Glass for the prescription lenses should have their pair of traditional glasses with them if they want to check out the latest movie.

Normally, the device lights up when it’s recording a video, so it should be pretty easy to spot if it’s recording anything or being used, but movie theaters in the UK seem adamant to eliminate the possibility of this even happening.

TorrentFreak reports that movie industry group FACT sees Google Glass, as well as any other recording devices, as a significant threat of piracy and has been working with cinemas to prevent illegal recordings.

“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,” the group says.

It is known already that the Brits have been strengthening their resistance to online piracy by issuing ISP-wide bans on certain sites and asking telcos to block access to torrent sites without even having a court order.

For its part, cinema staff has helped UK authorities to capture people in the past few years, ending with the culprits being either arrested or sent home with a warning. There’s even an award system for those employees that help out in these issues.