Not sure Apple can legally do anything about it. Apple is making a free public stream available on the Internet. AltConf is not charging money to watch the stream. They are suggesting a $300 ticket donation for their whole conference but the stream was not being charged for. IIUC. So I am not sure Apple would prevail.
Apple is trying to get the license to stream (in real time) standard broadcast TV on their new streaming Apple TV product and is running into resistance. Remember the company that tried to re-stream broadcast TV and was finally shut down? Nobody has the right to re-stream copyrighted material without approval so Apple is just exercising its rights. People nowadays just don't understand that even though material is shown in the web, it is not free to reproduce or circulate without the owner's permission. If people want to view the keynote, they can view it for free. They just need to access Apple's website to do it.
It's important to note there's a big difference between the keynote and other sessions... which AI doesn't seem to understand.
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.
The information from AltConf says that Apple objected to the Keynote, not the sessions.
AltConf is forbidden from holding a viewing room for the Keynote or any other WWDC content.
Separately, they say that they'll be showing information from other conferences during AltConf sessions.
AltConf says they're still a free conference. Tickets weren't being charged for streaming. http://altconf.com/#tickets shows that tickets were requested by attendees in the past, and benefits are being able to enter sessions early to get good seats and swag. Running a conference is expensive. You have room, food, hotel-provided AV costs, chairs... it's not a small deal. You get some sponsors, and depending on how you run things, you charge for tickets. But to say that AltConf was charging $300 for streaming viewing is inaccurate.
The information from AltConf says that Apple objected to the Keynote, not the sessions.
AltConf is forbidden from holding a viewing room for the Keynote or any other WWDC content.
Separately, they say that they'll be showing information from other conferences during AltConf sessions.
AltConf says they're still a free conference. Tickets weren't being charged for streaming. http://altconf.com/#tickets shows that tickets were requested by attendees in the past, and benefits are being able to enter sessions early to get good seats and swag. Running a conference is expensive. You have room, food, hotel-provided AV costs, chairs... it's not a small deal. You get some sponsors, and depending on how you run things, you charge for tickets. But to say that AltConf was charging $300 for streaming viewing is inaccurate.
Agreed -- people are oversimplifying by saying that it's $300 just to view the keynote.
However, the problem is that it is now essentially a paid event (even if it is still possible to get in for free). Which is completely understandable given the costs of running a conference, and it's likely just to break even on things, but it still changes things when money is involved. Like it or not, AltConf is now classified as a paid, commercial event, and so it needs to follow the same rules as events like Google IO and WWDC.
The value proposition of WWDC is publicity promoting new Apple initiatives and building stronger application developers. The costs and income are incidental. Therefore, the alt-Conf is an important augmentation.
However, as with all rights, enforcement is necessary to protect these rights and benign neglect can easily lead to legal protection reduction. This can be simply resolved by an agreement accessing the content between the parties. No diminishing of rights due to lack of enforcement and significant benefits to Apple.
Issues like NDA, recoverable cost , etc can be resolved.
Sure they would prevail. It'd be as simple as having a no public performance notice as part of the stream.
We'd have to see. Apple puts out a public stream and there is no charge to watch. It is at a "private event". We'd have to see who would prevail. Especially when there is no economic harm done.
If they just put the large screen TVs up and an Apple TV but one of the attendees had to choose the channel...
Apple is trying to get the license to stream (in real time) standard broadcast TV on their new streaming Apple TV product and is running into resistance. Remember the company that tried to re-stream broadcast TV and was finally shut down? Nobody has the right to re-stream copyrighted material without approval so Apple is just exercising its rights. People nowadays just don't understand that even though material is shown in the web, it is not free to reproduce or circulate without the owner's permission. If people want to view the keynote, they can view it for free. They just need to access Apple's website to do it.
No one is "re-streaming" this. AltConf was not "re-streaming". They were merely making a room available to people who wanted the ORIGINAL PUBLIC STREAM DIRECT FORM APPLE. Apple does not want people watching it, they shouldn't be publicly streaming it.
It's important to note there's a big difference between the keynote and other sessions... which AI doesn't seem to understand.
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.)
Yes, my comments were only about the KeyNote. Streaming the private sessions, unless they are on a public web page / Apple TV channel, would require an Apple Dev login and would be restricted. That they have perfect right to do without any question.
This is actually a good thing exposing Apple developers to sessions from Microsoft and Google. If it got developers educated on the possibilities of using Azure in the back end instead of iCloud it would lead to much better IOS and Mac applications. We could have our cake and eat it too... Far and away the best hardware running apps that use best of breed cloud services instead of what we have today.
Comments
Not sure Apple can legally do anything about it. Apple is making a free public stream available on the Internet. AltConf is not charging money to watch the stream. They are suggesting a $300 ticket donation for their whole conference but the stream was not being charged for. IIUC. So I am not sure Apple would prevail.
Apple is trying to get the license to stream (in real time) standard broadcast TV on their new streaming Apple TV product and is running into resistance. Remember the company that tried to re-stream broadcast TV and was finally shut down? Nobody has the right to re-stream copyrighted material without approval so Apple is just exercising its rights. People nowadays just don't understand that even though material is shown in the web, it is not free to reproduce or circulate without the owner's permission. If people want to view the keynote, they can view it for free. They just need to access Apple's website to do it.
It's important to note there's a big difference between the keynote and other sessions... which AI doesn't seem to understand.
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.
The information from AltConf says that Apple objected to the Keynote, not the sessions.
AltConf is forbidden from holding a viewing room for the Keynote or any other WWDC content.
Separately, they say that they'll be showing information from other conferences during AltConf sessions.
AltConf says they're still a free conference. Tickets weren't being charged for streaming. http://altconf.com/#tickets shows that tickets were requested by attendees in the past, and benefits are being able to enter sessions early to get good seats and swag. Running a conference is expensive. You have room, food, hotel-provided AV costs, chairs... it's not a small deal. You get some sponsors, and depending on how you run things, you charge for tickets. But to say that AltConf was charging $300 for streaming viewing is inaccurate.
The information from AltConf says that Apple objected to the Keynote, not the sessions.
AltConf is forbidden from holding a viewing room for the Keynote or any other WWDC content.
Separately, they say that they'll be showing information from other conferences during AltConf sessions.
AltConf says they're still a free conference. Tickets weren't being charged for streaming. http://altconf.com/#tickets shows that tickets were requested by attendees in the past, and benefits are being able to enter sessions early to get good seats and swag. Running a conference is expensive. You have room, food, hotel-provided AV costs, chairs... it's not a small deal. You get some sponsors, and depending on how you run things, you charge for tickets. But to say that AltConf was charging $300 for streaming viewing is inaccurate.
Agreed -- people are oversimplifying by saying that it's $300 just to view the keynote.
However, the problem is that it is now essentially a paid event (even if it is still possible to get in for free). Which is completely understandable given the costs of running a conference, and it's likely just to break even on things, but it still changes things when money is involved. Like it or not, AltConf is now classified as a paid, commercial event, and so it needs to follow the same rules as events like Google IO and WWDC.
However, as with all rights, enforcement is necessary to protect these rights and benign neglect can easily lead to legal protection reduction. This can be simply resolved by an agreement accessing the content between the parties. No diminishing of rights due to lack of enforcement and significant benefits to Apple.
Issues like NDA, recoverable cost , etc can be resolved.
Sure they would prevail. It'd be as simple as having a no public performance notice as part of the stream.
We'd have to see. Apple puts out a public stream and there is no charge to watch. It is at a "private event". We'd have to see who would prevail. Especially when there is no economic harm done.
If they just put the large screen TVs up and an Apple TV but one of the attendees had to choose the channel...
Apple is trying to get the license to stream (in real time) standard broadcast TV on their new streaming Apple TV product and is running into resistance. Remember the company that tried to re-stream broadcast TV and was finally shut down? Nobody has the right to re-stream copyrighted material without approval so Apple is just exercising its rights. People nowadays just don't understand that even though material is shown in the web, it is not free to reproduce or circulate without the owner's permission. If people want to view the keynote, they can view it for free. They just need to access Apple's website to do it.
No one is "re-streaming" this. AltConf was not "re-streaming". They were merely making a room available to people who wanted the ORIGINAL PUBLIC STREAM DIRECT FORM APPLE. Apple does not want people watching it, they shouldn't be publicly streaming it.
It's important to note there's a big difference between the keynote and other sessions... which AI doesn't seem to understand.
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.)
Yes, my comments were only about the KeyNote. Streaming the private sessions, unless they are on a public web page / Apple TV channel, would require an Apple Dev login and would be restricted. That they have perfect right to do without any question.
The situation has changed:
http://altconf.pr.co/103664-altconf-streaming-of-wwdc-keynote-and-sotu-back-on