[wongarsu]

The pervasive blocking of copyrighted content in screenshots and screen sharing sounds mildly dystopian. The article lists several examples where this actually hurts the Vision Pro (in terms of ability to share cool moments or being able to demo it), so I wonder why the feature made it in? Is it a move by Apple to make sure immersive videos don't get pirated and made available to Quest and Vive users, or is there external pressure from studios?

[BryantD]

FWIW, this is also the case for many video platforms on Mac and iOS (and I assume Windows and Android as well). It's not limited to Vision Pro. I believe this is because of studio pressure.

My unvalidated assumption is that if I can take screenshots of a movie on my Mac, I can also record the full content and duplicate the movie. Thus, this is a copy protection measure.

[pvg]

studio pressure

A better way to think of this might be 'voluntary commercial agreements entered by gigantic corporations'. The results are some mildly annoying misfeatures inflicted on consumers (the 'dystopia' in the GP comment) and wide, cheap, on-demand availability of unfathomable quantities of digital content (the 'utopia' we actually live in).

[BryantD]

Concur. I wasn't really happy with my phrasing but it seemed like OK shorthand; I like yours.

[sircastor]

I feel confident that it's Apple trying to appease its media partners. I think after Apple pulled the rug out from under the music industry, the film and television industry panicked. They were unwilling to make a deal where content was not chained down with a stake to the ground.

In my opinion, there are two kinds of people who work in Hollywood:

- People who make movies, who probably don't care if you pirate the movie much because the studio is going to screw them over in their pay anyway. These people want as many folks to see the movie in all its different ways as possible.

- People who run the studios, whose salaries, bonuses, etc, are all attached to investors, who want to see the film returns increase. These people want you to see the movie, but only you, only after you pay, for each viewing, in the time, place, and conditions they set.

[amelius]

This is user-hostile. Not everything that can be enforced should be enforced.

Anyway, the one thing that is even more user-hostile is sending app-makers screenshot-was-made events without telling the users. This is a thing on Android.

[monomyth]

Apple is user-hostile and user-empowering at the same time.

[threeseed]

It’s cute that you think that companies can demand things from film studios.

But in the real world that doesn’t happen and Apple needs their support to get this content on the platform in the first place.

[tanseydavid]

>> It’s cute that you think that companies can demand things from film studios.

The snark does not really add anything to the discussion.

Apple is the second largest company in the world by market cap. I think they have some leverage.

[threeseed]

And yet the decades of on the ground evidence from iOS, macOS, AppleTV and now Vision Pro is that (a) market cap means nothing, (b) Apple has about as much leverage as everyone i.e. none and (c) film studios dictate the rules.

[amelius]

Glad that soon generative AI will dictate the rules.

[amelius]

Well, I had more freedom on my old VHS recorder.

[sircastor]

Not for want of trying. VHS tapes were frequently produced with MacroVision that would distort the image on copy.

[darby_eight]

Curiously, you can trivially find "web rips" for virtually every popular streaming-only show. Yet another instance where DRM obstructs everyone but the intended parties.

[adamwk]

It's the same on iPhone for i'm guessing DRM content

[golergka]

This also doesn't make sense for the copyright owner interests. Don't you want people to share screenshots of your movies and shows?

[wilg]

I agree it doesn't make any sense. But this is unfortunately the deal with Hollywood and they surely just ported the same functionality from iOS.

[warkdarrior]

If I can take a screenshot, I can copy the whole movie.

[golergka]

Technically, yes. Practically, it's unfeasible. Legally, there's a pretty sharp distinction between copying one frame to share with friends or on social media and copying all the friends with an intent of copying the entire movie.

[monomyth]

if you can see it you can copy it.