Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

AltConf Barred From Streaming WWDC Keynote, Developer Sessions

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,584
39,450



For several years running, AltConf has been held at the same time as Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, giving developers who did not get a ticket to attend WWDC a place to go to meet up and mingle.

Content streamed live from Apple, including developer sessions and keynote events, has been shown at AltConf in past years, but this year, Apple has barred AltConf from streaming video content from the Worldwide Developers Conference.

altconf-800x570.jpg

In a press release, AltConf notified attendees that it had received a letter from Apple's legal representatives, preventing it from showing Monday's keynote event and video sessions from WWDC. Apple's letter said that the company "exercises control over not only the content of its messaging, but also the manner in which those messages are packaged, distributed, and delivered."
AltConf's streaming of Apple 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." Thus, AltConf must "refrain from publicly streaming or showing any WWDC content. Apple further demands that AltConf and each of its organizers refrain from reproducing or distributing any WWDC content belonging to Apple, in any manner."
Click to expand...
It is not clear why Apple has decided to crack down on AltConf's plan to stream WWDC content as AltConf has been able to do so in the past. This is the first year that AltConf has offered a $300 paid ticket option, but AltConf's organizers do not believe that is a factor as paid tickets do not guarantee seating for the WWDC viewing theater.

According to AltConf's note, the conference's organizers are hoping to come to an agreement with Apple that will allow them to share WWDC content. As an alternative, AltConf will show developer sessions from Google I/O, Microsoft's Build, NSConference, 360 iDev, and 360 iDev, and UIKonf in its viewing rooms, and it will also include sessions with various speakers. Live blogs will be displayed during the keynote instead of Apple's live stream, and there will be a "keynote reaction panel" from iMore.

Update: Apple has changed its mind and will allow AltConf to stream the WWDC keynote. AltConf will not, however, be able to stream WWDC sessions.
Thanks to the support and passion the community has responded with over the past 24 hours, Apple is allowing AltConf to stream the WWDC Keynote and Platforms State of the Union address on Monday, as originally planned.
Click to expand...

Article Link: AltConf Barred From Streaming WWDC Keynote, Developer Sessions
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/06/04/altconf-no-streaming-wwdc-content/
Nothing is stopping the people attending this thing from connecting to apple.com over LTE and watching it from their iPads or their macbooks or whatever.

All they lose is the big screen. You can still be in a room full of people reacting to it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak, dilap, rbrian and 2 others
syndalis said:
Nothing is stopping the people attending this thing from connecting to apple.com over LTE and watching it from their iPads or their macbooks or whatever.

All they lose is the big screen. You can still be in a room full of people reacting to it.
Click to expand...

I can sympathise with both sides. However, in the end it is Apple’s content.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak and JoeMacDe
syndalis said:
My sympathy dried up when I saw they were selling tickets for guaranteed seats in front of the livestream.

This group stood to profit off of Apple's stream and not supplemental content of their own creation.
Click to expand...

It is stated anywhere that they profited from this? Personally, I think it shows that there is a much wider interest in a gathering of this kind that Apple doesn’t really do anything with. But I agree, it’s Apple’s content and they are right to shut this down. On second thought, introducing privileges through exclusive tickets is something I don’t really agree with, especially since the event seems to have always been free and there has not been a good reason to introduce these tickets now. I would have agreed if the tickets were there to make this event possible in the first place.
 
syndalis said:
maaaaaybe don't charge tickets to steam a copyrighted live event without the permission of the content holder?
Click to expand...
AltConf is basically there for people that didn't get into WWDC (Which is a lot of people.) It is free, unless you want to pay $300 for a guaranteed seat. I doubt they are making a profit off of the conference.

Apple should either find a way to make WWDC bigger (Or maybe hold more regional events, which they have done before but not consistently) or just let them stream it. People aren't going to AltConf instead of WWDC, they are going because they couldn't get in.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ted13, rbrian and wilhoitm
"We hope to come to some sort of agreement with the company, whose intellectual property rights we're violating, to ensure we can continue violating them and just share the profit."

"Hidey-ho neighbor! I guess you saw me steal your TV last night. What if I give you 10% of the price I sold it for?"
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak and JoeMacDe
They probably would have kept looking the other way if not for the tickets being sold. i would have been surprised if Apple had allowed them to stream something that they are putting on and paying to produce while charging for a ticket for the conference they are going to stream it at.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak, ogun7 and Benjamin Frost
I don't see the NEED for Apple to stop 3rd parties from "selling the stream," but I can certainly see they have the right. Which makes me think AltConf should have asked about this long ago...
 
  • Like
Reactions: ogun7
How exactly is Apple being hurt by these guys streaming the event? Apple doesn't charge for the stream, and it actually benefits Apple to have a few hundred people watching one stream, which uses less bandwidth than all of them watching the streams individually. Not to mention people seeing the stream builds buzz and camaraderie among Apple fans who will probably spend more $ on Apple stuff as a result.

This seems rather petty of Apple.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ted13 and rbrian
zorinlynx said:
How exactly is Apple being hurt by these guys streaming the event? Apple doesn't charge for the stream, and it actually benefits Apple to have a few hundred people watching one stream, which uses less bandwidth than all of them watching the streams individually. Not to mention people seeing the stream builds buzz and camaraderie among Apple fans who will probably spend more $ on Apple stuff as a result.

This seems rather petty of Apple.
Click to expand...
I initially thought so but now knowing they were charging for guaranteed seats I can see why Apple would object.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak and Benjamin Frost
Shouldn't really matter to AltConf this year, doesn't seem like Apple has a whole lot to announce with so many things delayed and not ready.
 
jonblatho said:
BREAKING: Group illegally rebroadcasts copyrighted content to the public, gets shut down
Click to expand...

Why? If the stream is public available for free, why should they get to decide if there is 1 or 300 people watching the screen.
 
  • Like
Reactions: rbrian
KALLT said:
It is stated anywhere that they profited from this?
Click to expand...

If I took DVD's and copied movies, then sold those movies for less than each DVD cost, I'd still be considered in violation of a copyright. Why? Because I am undercutting the cost of the DVD, and now the manufacturer (creator) of the DVD doesn't get paid.

If you can not profit from content you get for free while charging $300 for people to sit and watch it, you have no business orchestrating this anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak and Benjamin Frost
MacRumors said:
This is the first year that AltConf has offered a $300 paid ticket option, but AltConf's organizers do not believe that is a factor as paid tickets do not guarantee seating for the WWDC viewing theater.
Click to expand...

Why? WHY would you not believe that charging for access to someones copyrighted material ISN'T the cause of being told "NO!" Is everybody at AltConf REALLY that naive? Likely Apple ignored it before because it would have been difficult to separate this from every other WWDC get together I have heard of. It just wouldn't have been worth the time and negative publicity. However, the second AltConf started charging for access to copyrighted content...

Hey, I have an idea. I'll get the next fight from HBO for $100, then I'll charge each of 20 friends $20 to come over and watch it to pay their part of the "costs." HBO won't mind that right? Actually I'll rent a big screen, deliver it to a strip mall, and charge $20 entry per person. Then I could have 100 people show up...

Just because Apple streams this at their cost does not mean it does not cost anything. Apple gets to make the rules on their product, and this is obviously their product.

AltCon got their little tallywhacker smacked.

And now they won't likely be able to undo this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak and Benjamin Frost
Ries said:
Why? If the stream is public available for free, why should they get to decide if there is 1 or 300 people watching the screen.
Click to expand...

Because an entry fee of $300 is being charged for something that costs Apple money. Just because Apple does not charge for access to the stream, does not mean it is "free."

Apple didn't care about the number watching it UNTIL A FEE was involved.

Tell you what, read my HBO example in my post above.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak and Benjamin Frost
zorinlynx said:
How exactly is Apple being hurt by these guys streaming the event?
Click to expand...

They weren't being hurt by it. That's why Apple didn't care that AltConf was doing this.

Apple doesn't charge for the stream,
Click to expand...

No, but they pay for it.

and it actually benefits Apple to have a few hundred people watching one stream, which uses less bandwidth than all of them watching the streams individually. Not to mention people seeing the stream builds buzz and camaraderie among Apple fans who will probably spend more $ on Apple stuff as a result.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

This seems rather petty of Apple.
Click to expand...

It seems petty that Apple would prevent someone from charging for copyrighted material that Apple paid for and gives to people? That seems petty?

Naive, is thinking that AltConf is going to charge for someone else's copyrighted content... How do you arrive at, "it's okay to charge for copyrighted material you got for free?"
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak
"It is not clear why Apple has decided to crack down on AltConf's plan to stream WWDC content as AltConf has been able to do so in the past. This is the first year that AltConf has offered a $300 paid ticket option..."

I think you just answered your own question.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrxak and Benjamin Frost
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back