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Topic: AMC calls FBI to arrest a Google Glass user

Marcel Birgelen
Film God

Posts: 3357
From: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 01-21-2014 04:38 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
Out of hundreds of theater locations across the United States, how did "Bob Hope" know a Google Glasses wearing bootlegger would be at that specific movie theater and at that time?

The MPAA has a Bob Hope in a sleeper cell in any major town, just waiting to be activated.

It's now also featured on Business Insider.

Nowadays, almost everybody carries an advanced Copyright Infringement Device in their pocket. But hey, let's just threat everybody going to the movies like a potential criminal, I'm sure the problem will eventually solve itself!

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David Zylstra
Master Film Handler

Posts: 432
From: Novi, MI, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 01-21-2014 05:02 PM

quote: Mark Ogden
Yeah? Here is AMC's Twitter feed. I don't see anything about it.

I see it, if you click "All" and scroll down "Traci" from AMC does respond and confirm the story happened.

Try this link AMC Twitter with replies

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

posted 01-21-2014 05:10 PM

quote: Kevin Fairchild
This is the most disgusting post I have ever read.

Knowing Joe, I suspect it to be ironic.

As David points out, "smart glasses" are in their infancy, and for that reason, combined with the general atmosphere of paranoia that tends to prevail nowadays, I have no problem believing Dennis's account. I too hope that Google has enough political clout to make it clear to the government that simply wearing their product is not acceptable grounds for this level of harrassment - and be listened to, seriously. After all, sales of their product are going to take a serious knock if it becomes clear that you're not going to be able to wear them in a public place without this sort of thing happening to you.

I too had an unnerving experience, arriving into Seattle airport a couple of years ago. At that point I wasn't a permanent resident/green card holder, just a foreign visitor to the United States. The CBP officer noted that I had rather a lot of visitor entry stamps in my UK passport, and I think suspected that I was trying to live and work in the US illegally. I was sent for a secondary interview, and, very thankfully, interviewed by someone who was clearly well trained, sensible and had seen it all before, who realised quickly that I was legit and let me in. But all it would have taken was to have encounted an officer at the wrong end of a bad day, and things could have ended very differently. Nine times out of ten the system works as it should and you're OK: but when it doesn't it can be very unnerving to be on the receiving end. Very sorry that Dennis ended up having to go through this.

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Chris Slycord
Film God

Posts: 2986
From: 청주시, 경북도, South Korea
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 01-21-2014 05:19 PM

If you don't care to look through the twitter feed

quote:
Mark Lensenmayer ‏@MarkLensenmayer 7h

@AMCTheatres Is the story about federal officers removing a patron from AMC Easton 30 for wearing Google Glass true?

quote:
AMC Theatres ‏@AMCTheatres

@MarkLensenmayer It is true that a guest with a potential recording device inside the auditorium was questioned at our AMC Easton 30. -Traci

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-21-2014 06:24 PM

The main part of the story that's disturbing is the "yanked the Glass from my face" part.

So, "agents" can now just walk into our property and put their hands on people and steal their property, before a crime is even confirmed as being committed?

I would never touch a patron in that manner. If I thought somebody had a camera I would just stand in front of them and ask them to please come with me to the lobby.

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Pravin Ratnam
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 844
From: Atlanta, GA,USA
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 01-21-2014 08:25 PM

Exactly my point, Mike. That is why I wondered if I would be allowed to punch someone who treated me like that in a theater and use self defense or maybe justifiable reaction to being provoked as an excuse not to get put in jail.

And when the guy kept asking them to check the recording, they wouldn't and kept badgering him for a long time. THat is pure abuse of power and is a display of abuse of power more than rational smart policing of a situation. And as much as someone can make an honest mistake of identifying an innocent person as a criminal, how tough would it be to apologize sincerely for wasting his time and treating him rudely?

I experience the same crap with cops. OK, sometimes cops have to err on the side of safety. So once, everything is cleared and the cops knows I am an innocent guy, would it hurt for him to apologize? And being tough on crime does not mean a person in any kind of law enforcement has a right to be ude and a jerk until you have a good idea that you are dealing with a bad person. There is a way to be firm, no nonsense and still maintain everyone's dignity while you are scoping out the situation.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 01-22-2014 01:41 AM

quote: Mike Blakesley
The main part of the story that's disturbing is the "yanked the Glass from my face" part.

This is what irks me as well. The law enforcement stooge acts as if he's knocking a gun out of a shooter's hands and saving lives. There is no need to do that. It won't help make his case any stronger, it won't save the movie industry any more money by preventing a few more frames from being recorded, it's just a power play to say "Hey lookee me I big I though you be intimidated by me". Dude probably has issues with feelings of inadequacy. I'm sure his kids hate him, too. I also bet that he has a skidmark in each pair of his underwear that doesn't come out even with multiple washings.

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Martin McCaffery
Film God

Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-22-2014 08:18 AM

So, is anyone at the theatre going to try and claim the $500 bounty the MPAA offers for turning in bootleggers?

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-22-2014 08:39 AM

If this story really is true it shows just how far the MPAA, Hollywood movie studios and the theaters themselves are taking the movie-going public for granted. They don't realize a very simple fact: the movie industry needs its customers a lot more than the customers need the movie industry.

These guys need to concrentrate on improving customer service rather than showing open contempt for customers.

If the movie industry collapsed life would go on without it. People would adjust to a world where recorded dramatic entertainment was only watched on TV. The entertainment industry would be far smaller than it is now, but life would still go on.

How many restaurants would survive if a Gestapo-like crew of police dragged customers off into a back room, badgering them for hours because they were suspected of sneaking into the kitchen to find recipe secrets?

Customers have to put up with enough negative aspects in the movie-going experience. I'm sure the sight of police-state treatment of someone wearing Google Glass wouldn't exactly make other customers very keen on returning to the movie theater, free passes in hand or not.

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Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-22-2014 09:48 AM

I think things changed when the Government got in on this situation. Like someone said earlier - "Jack Ryan" is already being downloaded by millions on the Internet. Why would they treat someone like this? A.M.C. will simply say they had control over it, as it was Homeland Security that was involved.

Think about that. Look how these 'agents' treated this guy. This is how our government is treating law abiding citizens. Private businesses need separation from this stuff. If it can be proven that a bootleg was made from this theatre and made available to the public - THE THEATRE ITSELF SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE - FINED OR WHATEVER.

Why in the hell would you let your customers be treated in this manner????

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Rick Raskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1100
From: Manassas Virginia
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 01-22-2014 05:14 PM

Now that it appears the story is true that guy really needs to consult an attorney and burn the hell out of the Gestapo. There is absolutely no excuse for the treatment he and his wife received and four comps is an insult! If enough people take these guys to court the behavior will stop. There is no way in hell I'd patronize such an establishment. Vote with your feet!

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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 01-22-2014 06:20 PM

quote:
There is absolutely no excuse for the treatment he and his wife received and four comps is an insult!

That makes me think of that scene in The Godfather where Sonny Corleone (James Caan) grabs a photographer in the driveway and smashes his camera. He peels off a few bills from his money clip and tosses them at the photographer's feet.

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

posted 01-22-2014 08:48 PM

quote: Mike Blakesley
So, "agents" can now just walk into our property and put their hands on people and steal their property, before a crime is even confirmed as being committed?

Welcome to the real world. People who have never had a run in with law enforcement don't realize that the attitude of most officers is that you are guilty until proven innocent, not the other way around.

I've never been 'lucky' enough to have had such an experience myself, but I've had close friends/family members who have had the unfortunate distinction of getting tangled up with law enforcement. The kind of behavior described in the post is SOP and has been for years.

There are some good law enforcement officers out there, no doubt, but many are arrogant, ignorant bullies who will treat you like the dirt on the bottom of their shoes if they think you're guilty of a crime.

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Rick Raskin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1100
From: Manassas Virginia
Registered: Jan 2003

posted 01-23-2014 06:46 AM

I think there may be some 4th Amendment issues here, especially since there was no obvious indication that a crime was being committed.

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Edward Havens
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 614
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Mar 2008

posted 01-23-2014 03:04 PM

Let's remember, we've only heard one side of this story, from a disgruntled patron, and those of us who have worked in this industry any amount of time know a disgruntled patron will always tell a story that make themselves look completely innocent, removing any information that might make them look bad.

I'm not denying anything happened, because every side admits something happened. I'm just skeptical that it happened exactly the way he's saying it happened.

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