Posted on 01/21/2014 10:26:20 AM PST by Red Badger
As if you needed another reason not to wear your dumb Google Glass in public—or ever, actually—an Ohio man claims he was yanked out of a movie theater and interrogated by federal agents, who believed he was illegally filming the movie with his face computer.
The man’s full account is posted on The Gadgeteer, but we’ll summarize it here so you can get the gist of it before you’re engulfed forever in this ghastly winter storm.
Last Saturday, our Glass-wearing protagonist and his wife went to a showing of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit at an AMC in Columbus, Ohio. About an hour into the movie, he says some federal agents yanked the Glass off the man’s face, pulled the pair out of the theater and took them to separate interrogation rooms.
The man, who’d just been trying to enjoy a crappy movie with his lovely wife on a Saturday night, says he was accused of illegally taping the movie and questioned extensively about “who I am, where I live, where I work, how much I’m making, how many computers I have at home, why am I recording the movie, who am I going to give the recording to, why don’t I just give up the guy up the chain, ’cause they are not interested in me. Over and over and over again.”
The agents also allegedly displayed this level of ridiculousness:
They wanted to know where I got Glass and how did I came by having it. I told them I applied about 1000 times to get in the explorer program, and eventually I was selected, and I got the Glass from Google. I offered to show them receipt and Google Glass website if they would allow me to access any computer with internet. Of course, that was not an option. Then they wanted to know what does Google ask of me in exchange for Glass, how much is Google paying me, who is my boss and why am I recording the movie.
After an hour of intense interrogation, the agents hooked the Glass up to a computer, and saw that all it was storing were personal family photos, he says. They allegedly went through his phone, too, and found nothing.
Then everybody felt really bad, and gave the man and his wife four free movie passes, so they can go see Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit again, twice.
Based on this strange tale, here are some things we should probably establish:
1) AMC needs to learn what Google Glass is, set out a policy as to whether its patrons can wear it or not. Yes, it’s pretty weird and suspicious that this dude was wearing Glass to the movies. Why would anybody do that, if not to film the movie? But having the feds remove a man from his seat mid-movie is pretty shitty, when what he’s doing isn’t expressly prohibited in the first place.
2) Law enforcement officials should make an effort to keep up-to-date on the latest technological advancements, so they don’t unintentionally behave like dodos.
3) Not that we couldn’t guess this before, but Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is probably a move that you should not go see.
UPDATE: The man was wearing Google Glass that had prescription lenses, meaning he needed the Glass to see the movie. He also told Gadgeteer he could have moved a few rows up to see, though. We are awaiting a call back from AMC about their policy on wearing Glass — prescription or not — in theaters.
Like there aren’t better ways to copy...
Homeland Security has put a priority on protecting the commerical and intellectual interests of Hollywood. Fascism. Nothing but.
Anyone else who is wronged in such manner must find their own detectives to build a case of copyright violation.
The ‘copy’ would be like watching it with binoculars................
That was quick.
A friends car was broken into, one of several in an apartment complex, things were stolen.... they called 911 and were told to send an email report to the cops. The cops did not even come out and pretend to investigate.
Those filmed off the screen look and sound terrible. Occasionally, you will see the silhouette of someone getting up from their seat. Don’t ask me how I know . . .
Next time he should offer free donuts..................
Federal agents?
The movie theatre workers must be getting paid off.
Did I hear that doormen in NYC are being trained to report “elder” abuse?
Hey, ChaCha BigBucks. You don’t want me to call the State and tell them I saw you hit yo Momma? You didn’t? Can you prove it? Fifty bucks a week then, Whitey!
When I bought a ticket to see this movie I didn’t expect the Spanish Inquisition.
J Edgar Hoover must be rolling over in his grave.
Would you and I be doing what we're doing right now via a pair of glasses ?
no
Maybe some ROBOCOP guy could access Abby for the ID of the guy he's chasin' ... but even THEN ....
It’s even funnier when you hear the “cameraman” sneeze and the whole thing shakes for a second.
Bingo.
Story is hard to believe. 6-10 “federal agents” and cops raid a theater in Columbus Ohio because one guy is seen with Google glasses?
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.
Now, if he thinks he's gonn'a pay for just ONE seat with that rig .... wellll, by GOD the fbi will be called in !
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