Apple prohibits AltConf from streaming WWDC content
It appears Apple is instituting tight control over WWDC content for 2015, as the company on Thursday threatened legal action against AltConf if it moved forward with plans to stream the yearly keynote and subsequent sessions to attendees at an offsite location.
AltConf, a developers conference traditionally held in San Francisco during the same week as WWDC, usually streams Apple's keynote presentation and other content to attendees, but this year Apple is taking a hardline stance against such activity.
The cancellation was announced through the AltConf website on Thursday, just minutes after Release Notes tweeted out an ad for the free event at hotel Parc 55. Event organizers this year introduced a $300 ticket option, though access to the WWDC viewing room was supposedly free to all.
AltConf, a developers conference traditionally held in San Francisco during the same week as WWDC, usually streams Apple's keynote presentation and other content to attendees, but this year Apple is taking a hardline stance against such activity.
The cancellation was announced through the AltConf website on Thursday, just minutes after Release Notes tweeted out an ad for the free event at hotel Parc 55. Event organizers this year introduced a $300 ticket option, though access to the WWDC viewing room was supposedly free to all.
Apple is offering its own keynote stream to Apple TV owners, iOS device users and through the Web, while developers can access live lab sessions by visiting Apple's Developer website.Due to a letter from Apple's legal representatives, AltConf will not be able to show any content from WWDC in the Viewing Room. In its place, sessions will be shown from Google I/O, Microsoft's Build, NSConference, 360|iDev, and UIKonf. All AltConf speaking sessions have remained untouched and will proceed as scheduled.
Comments
I'm not a developer and so have no horse in this race, but it seems to me that if WWDC is sold out (and it always is) then it can only help Apple to have the keynote shown at another developer conference taking place simultaneously.
I could understand if they were charging for the event, but it's a free online stream.
There's better reporting of this elsewhere (as is all too often the case for AI, these days, I'm afraid). To summarize though: In previous years, AltConf restreamed with no apparent objections from Apple. This time, AltConf wanted to charge people $300 a head to watch. I agree with Apple. That really does crosses the line.
I'm not a developer and so have no horse in this race, but it seems to me that if WWDC is sold out (and it always is) then it can only help Apple to have the keynote shown at another developer conference taking place simultaneously.
I could understand if they were charging for the event, but it's a free online stream.
I agree; Apple could have handled this better rather than sending a c&d letter
... This time, AltConf wanted to charge people $300 a head to watch. I agree with Apple. That really does crosses the line.
Dick move by AltConf.
In that case, completely agree with Apple!
Thanks for the missing part of the story.
Such as?
There's better reporting of this elsewhere (as is all too often the case for AI, these days, I'm afraid). To summarize though: In previous years, AltConf restreamed with no apparent objections from Apple. This time, AltConf wanted to charge people $300 a head to watch. I agree with Apple. That really does crosses the line.
Thanks for the Real News, i think this cross the line as well.
On another note, News today are just too damn crap, no one bother to find answers, instead they all decide to do catchy headline as quickly as possible.
Like giving them free hugs, right? You're so sure they could have handled it better, yet didn't even bother to provide a plausible alternative, nor do you know if apple tried to take other steps before this one. Well done.
http://www.theapplepips.com/altconf-barred-from-streaming-wwdc-keynote-developer-sessions-mac-blog/
It is simple, they tried to profit off it and Apple stopped them.
Sure they would prevail. It'd be as simple as having a no public performance notice as part of the stream.
Not sure what Apple has to gain by doing this. Seems petty.
I see two issues with what AltConf was planning to do.
1) Charging for a live stream that is free.
2) Streaming subsequent sessions. These sessions have always been behind a Apple Developer Program login only. I forget where the notice is, but there is a reminder that the sessions (at least the current year) are under a NDA. To do this they either login with a developer account and violate the NDA or they are filming in the back of the developer only sessions.
The second by itself is enough for a C&D letter, although I do agree that the first is more of a gray area.
For those of you who want links, #2 was confirmed by AltConf's own post http://altconf.pr.co/103476-altconf-streaming-of-wwdc-content-cancelled.
They're not charging for the stream alone. The $300 is for the entire conference which includes the WWDC keynote.
The keynote is public and you can get it as a podcast from iTunes afterwards. Everyone gets to watch the keynote.
The sessions, however, are private and released under NDA only to people who have agreed to keep their content secret until the relevant software is released.
This allows Apple to bring developers up to speed, without everything being released before its ready.
However, since Apple has become popular, a lot of non developers have decided that they want this kind of info and started pirating beta versions of the software and sharing videos of sessions and the like. Apple has to fight that because it's necessary to protect their intellectual property (not that google isn't sending people to WWDC-- they are-- but they can't use what they learn there on google products that compete with Apple products until after the Apple products are released-- at least in theory, but if they did they could open google up to a lot of legal liability for violating the contract.)