In a letter received by the leaders of AltConf, it was revealed that Apple is cracking down on the live streaming of its WWDC video content at events other than its own. AltConf, which is a community-based developer conference being held in San Francisco the same week as WWDC, had planned to stream content from WWDC in its Viewing Room, but received a letter from an Apple legal representative which demanded that AltConf cease all plans to stream Apple content.
This firm represents Apple Inc. (“Apple”) in certain matters. Apple has recently learned that AltConf 2015 (“AltConf”) is promoting its intent to stream live content from Apple’s WWDC events, including the Keynote address, and is charging $300 for guaranteed spots in the viewing area for the live streams.
Publicly streaming Apple’s WWDC content in the manner in which AltConf proposes would violate Apple’s copyright rights in the content. This is particularly the case where AltConf proposes to offer the content for profit. Therefore, Apple requests that you refrain from publicly streaming the WWDC addresses.
In the letter, AltConf was told that it will not be allowed to show any content from WWDC at its event. AltConf has shown the WWDC keynote for the last several years with no backlash from Apple.
This year, however, a legal rep for Apple stated that Apple has the right to exercise control over both the content of its streams and how they are “packaged, distributed, and delivered.” The letter went on to say that AltConf’s streaming of WWDC “would strip Apple of exclusive control over one of the most anticipated events of the year, and could deprive Apple of potential revenue generated from its exclusive rights.”
In addition to asking AltConf to refrain from streaming WWDC content, Apple has also stated that no content relating to WWDC may be reproduced or distributed on-demand. One problem Apple seems to have with AltConf’s display of WWDC content is that they charge $300 for tickets to the event, even though tickets do not guarantee a spot in the Viewing Room and there are many benefits to purchasing a ticket beyond just viewing the live stream. In fact, admittance to the viewing room is on a first come first service basis. Apple recognizes this still to be an problem even putting the tickets aside. The biggest issue, however, is that Apple wants to exercise full control over its content and ensure that its brand and reputation are respected:
Apple appreciates that Hero ticket holders are not guaranteed seating in the WWDC viewing theater and further appreciates the enthusiasm and ingenuity of the organizers and the attendees of AltConf. Nevertheless, Apple must protect its intellectual property, including its right to publicly perform its copyrighted content. Consequently, Apple continues to demand that AltConf cancel the planned streaming of the WWDC addresses and sessions
Each element of Apple’s public messaging is carefully planned and meticulously executed. Apple expends significant resources in designing and implementing all of its public-facing messages and this attention to detail has become synonymous with Apple and has contributed immeasurably to the value of Apple’s brand and reputation. Allowing unaffiliated third parties to publicly perform its content could undermine the efforts – and resources – that Apple expends in ensuring that each public message originating from Apple is of the highest quality and is uniform in style. AltConf’s threatened streaming of Apple’s content would strip Apple of exclusive control over one of the most anticipated events of the year, and could deprive Apple of potential revenue generated from its exclusive rights.
Nevertheless, Apple still touts that all WWDC content will be available through other means:
Apple understands that tickets to WWDC are limited and that many who would have liked to attend in person cannot do so. Accordingly, for those wishing to view the WWDC content, Apple makes the content available both to individuals for streaming on their personal devices or computers and on Apple’s YouTube channel after the conference, or through the Apple WWDC App.
From the initial letter to AltConf from Apple:
Apple invests significant resources in the content it delivers during WWDC, and its rights in the content are protected by U.S. Copyright laws. Publicly streaming Apple’s WWDC content in the manner in which AltConf proposes would violate Apple’s copyright rights in the content, including its exclusive right to publicly perform its copyrighted works. This is particularly the case where AltConf proposes to offer the content for profit. Therefore, Apple requests that you refrain from publicly streaming the WWDC addresses and further refrain from reproducing, distributing or otherwise infringing Apple’s rights in the WWDC streamed content.
Over the years, it has become common for groups of developers and Apple fans to get together en masse and view the WWDC keynote and other various content. Despite Apple’s request for AltConf to not reproduce any WWDC content, a handful of alternatives are still available. It remains unclear as to whether Apple is attempting to block all events similar to AltConf.
Alternatives to AltConf that have not been contacted by Apple, as far as we know, and are showing WWDC live streams:
- InMobi Keynote Viewing Breakfast – Free
- Mac Meetup Viewing Feast – Free
- Belfast Meetup – Free
- CocoaHeads Live stream Meetup – Free
- GoTo Conference Live stream – Free
- Twitter’s WWDCLIVE Event – Free
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Well, I cannot blame Apple. They are streaming it for free and AltConf is attempting to use it as a means to promote and make money off of Apple.. This shouldn’t be socking or surprising really.
Really, it would have been better if AltConf got Apple on-board before trying to leverage Apple’s content and charge for it. Hope people can get their money back.
Major event faux pas: promise to provide something that you don’t actually control or have the rights to.
They should of had a contract in place. Event planning 101.
Event planning 101.
and yeah, I doubt that any of the free ones will be contacted. Seems Apple’s main contention is AltConf is charging.. which.. seriously.. how did they expect to NOT get in trouble for that?
I understand that this is totally within Apples right, blah blah blah, it’s a clear violation of the copyright — but who cares? It’s something which is being given away for free on the internet. It’s not something that is being made for profit. AltConf is not “stealing ” Apples right to profit from ownership of this material, because Apple never intends to sell it.
What other company would clamp down on its enthusiasts in such a way?
If you baked a cake in celebration of your child’s birthday, and handed the cake out for free — wouldn’t you be upset if someone collected slices and sold them on the side?
It doesn’t matter that it’s free. A 3rd party charging for it goes against the spirit of the whole thing.
Why would someone pay $300 to watch a free live stream? They wouldn’t. This is simply a place for Apple Devs to gather, because Apple can’t include every one in WWDC.
I just don’t foresee any cancelations in light of this news.
Nobody is “charging for this.” Admission to the Viewing Room is entirely first come, first served, with no costs involved. The $300 is only for guaranteed seating at the AltConf sessions themselves. The Viewing Room is something completely separate and and completely free to the public. Just as Apple’s live streamed video is.
I support Apple’s decision for this! No business should let others make money off a service you are providing, especially for a free service!
I known where Apple’s coming from with this crease and desist letter but this is one event where you want as many people/developers viewing and getting excited over the announcement. I’m pretty sure neither Google nor Microsoft would do something like this. Instead they would’ve provided the platform to allow people to view this as a community event. It’s nowhere as fun to watch something like this in a room all by yourself.
You don’t have to watch it by yourself as it is being free shown on the interment. The point is charging people without proper prior authorization to do so. There was nothing wrong with AltConf streaming the event as many do but they were charging not only a fee but a pretty hefty $300 to guarantee a seat to see it. WWDC is not their event and should have been nothing more than a bonus if you attended not a pay-to-view. Microsoft and Google both have done the same in the past. I/O was free so watch and so was Microsofts last Dev conference and I’m pretty sure no one charged to see it elsewhere.
If you read, paying the $300 for the ticket DOES NOT guarantee a seat in the WWDC viewing room as it’s a It’s a first-come, first-serve basis for ALL ticket holders, free and paid. Hero ticket holders have a 15-minute head-start for the speaker sessions and the like. Source: http://altconf.com/#tickets
And if you read “$300 for guaranteed spots in the viewing area for live streams” which as far as Apple is concerned is the same selling seats to view the event. It’s no different than Boxing when a bar charges extra at the door for coming in that day even if you not there for to watch the match.
Wow you’re a tit-for-tat type of person. I’m going off the article like everyone else has done. Obviously, you can’t see that. All the same my statement remains true due what was written. The ticket is relevant if they are promoting the viewing of the WWDC. If not then there is nothing wrong with it but as of now it doesn’t matter since Apple and AltConf have come to terms and will be allowed to stream the keynote only.
Wyatt, if you read “$300 for guaranteed spots in the viewing area for live streams” then you are NOT reading it correctly. The $300 guarantees seating in the AltConf sessions, NOT in the Viewing Room. NOBODY is charging for access to the live streams (except my wireless provider)!
Seriously?
What kind of idiots does Apple have in their legal team?
Just because they are infringing, doesn’t mean that people are paying FOR watching the keynote in a screen. They are paying for other things!
BAD!
“Other things”? What other things? Speaker sessions and a swag bag? You do realize that the WWDC event will be the centerpiece of AltConf, right?
Your opinion, which is not a good one…
Yes, speaker sessions. It’s a great list of 20 influential speakers from the Apple community, listed here: http://altconf.com/. TBH, I’d rather go to AltConf.
Where did they think they were going to get away with selling seats to watch a stream of the otherwise Free Keynote?
NOBODY is selling seats in the Viewing Room. It’s all first come, first served, free to the public. And it isn’t even being conducted by AltConf!!
AltConf wasn’t even presenting the streamed content. This is all being arranged by the guys at Core Intuition. AltConf is only providing the venue.
This was all OK in previous years, but not THIS year?? WTF??
The completely non-manditory $300 is for “guaranteed seating” at the AltConf sessions.
The “viewing room” is being handled by someone else completely and is entirely first-come, first seated.
This is apple setting up mousetraps for people eating crumbs that fall off their table. And it should be viewed as the classless move that it is. They are so huge that they have army’s of lawyers on retainer to squash annoyances. Even ones that are only an extension of their brand loyalty to people that can’t make it to their conference. This should be taken up in opposition to them as a freedom of speech issue. The outdated idea of a “performance” of something freely available on the internet is annoying. If you want to restrict content and prevent people from throwing it on a screen anywhere you should require a login for all viewing. With the login should come terms for viewing. All other content that you want to provide for “free” on the internet should be considered usable in the public domain. As “free” should not only mean that you can view it as you like, but that it comes free of legal entanglement. The right to speak freely without explicit terms that protect both creator and viewer should come with the social contract that the creator asks nothing of the viewer in regards to how the content is consumed. There is a value that producers get in their ability to reach an audience by providing free access to materials. That value is a transfer of value in the form of time from the viewer to the creator. Because without an audience there is nobody to hear the tree fall in the woods. So I think Apple should instead take a position of gratefulness and gratitude that people love their product enough that they want to throw up events around the world, and yes, make money off of their advocacy. As long as they are not claiming to be Apple there should be no issue with visiting a publicly anonymously accessible website and projecting it on a screen. The silly reality is that a group can charge for an Apple centric conference, provide a projector and internet and someone can throw up the keynote. This is just saying that can market that it might happen. If I were that conference I would issue a big high sign to Apple and tell the attendants that they can all bring their laptops and watch the keynote personally over free wifi, and use the projector to just show a slideshow of tyrannical dictators. The attendants of a conference like this are Apple fans that want to see the apple missives in a different setting. Telling them they can’t gather and throw it on a big screen is just shitting all over your customers. I have long viewed Apple as worse than any of the big tech companies by being a closed ecosystem. Maybe this kind of move will start to take the bloom off the rose. Nah, people will continue to overpay for under performing PC knockoffs they dish out, throwing their noses up at windows users.
Simple copyright law. If you don’t defend, you lose your ability to copyright your content. It’s not based on revenue or “how much money Apple” makes.
It’s a fucking keynote. It’s not a painting or a musical.
That’s trademarks the must be defended, not copyright.
So it was OK to do it last year, not now is NOT OK to do it THIS year? WTF?!
What the hell are you smoking? Defend trademarks from what? It’s like people can get together in a starbucks and watch it on their laptops, but can’t do it on a fucking projector? douchebaggery in action thats whats going on here.
Sure would have helped to offload some of the demand. I’m hoping this keynote stream from Apple will be glitch-free! But I think I know better heh
Douchebags. Period.
The video streams are being presented AT AltConf, not BY AltConf. Nobody is trying to make any money off of this!!
I don’t know enough to debate this and don’t have a strong opinion either way, so don’t take offense – Is AltConf running the conference? Are they charging admission to the conference? Is someone at the conference offering this stream? s AltConf profiting from the sum of everything being offered at the conference?
It’s about a 99% chance here that one or more of the AltConf attendees bristled at the thought of these clowns profiting from the keynote and dimed them out.
NOT “profiting from the keynote”!! Only profiting from their own sessions.
This is really no different than any other copyright holder (the NBA, NFL, MLB for example) enforcing their copyright. For example, it’s illegal for me to invite people to my house to watch a Pay Per View event, charge them money (even if it’s to just cover costs), and then put the Event on the TV while we party. Similarly, it’s illegal for a bar to pay for an “individual” (non-commercial) cable box and then show sports in the bar using that account.
If I put a lot of time, money, and effort into something, I know I’d want to exercise control over that something. That’s not being a douche. That’s being smart.
Yeah, but the people are being invited in to watch a FREE event and they are NOT being charged to do it!!
It was OK when they did this last year…