Former Senator and Head of MPAA Chris Dodd

In an attempt to stave off shaky, poor-quality piracy of new films, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the National Association of Theater Owners (the other NATO) decided that “wearable devices” will no longer be allowed during movies.

An update to the language of the MPAA’s official policies adds wearables to the list of devices that must be turned off and put away during a film, which already included cellphones and “other recording devices.”

The MPAA strongly recommends a zero tolerance policy of piracy in theaters, and suggest that movie theaters remove anyone caught recording video or even people recording audio only or taking pictures.

Taking it one step further, it also recommends that theater managers contact the police if an individual is caught recording the movie. U.S. federal law could put offenders in prison for up to three years, and many states have their own laws against in-theater recording.

The updated policy makes an attempt at showing that the MPAA and NATO have nothing against the devices themselves, saying:

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) have a long history of welcoming technological advances and recognize the strong consumer interest in smart phones and wearable “intelligent” devices.

It is hard to imagine how much of an impact this new policy will really have, with one study by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation suggesting that as much as 23.8 percent of global internet traffic is related to piracy.