Prince is known to dislike the Internet, or at least unauthorized publication of his work, via phones, tablets, etc. onto the Web or Internet. Over at NPR, Hasit Shah writes about that the reasons it’s a troubled relationship in Poor Lonely Computer: Prince’s Misunderstood Relationship With The Internet:
First is an attempt to preserve the purity of the live music experience, to encourage people to watch and absorb the show rather than their screens. Apart from a woman who used her phone flashlight to look for something she’d dropped, earning a stern word from an alert member of staff, everyone seemed to respect the rules. At one point, while he scrolled through his iPad, deciding what to play next, Prince playfully asked why everyone was looking at him. Later, I could only find a single, blurry image from the show on social media.
The other reason is Prince’s fierce commitment to protection of copyright. He does not take kindly to unauthorized recordings and images. There is surprisingly little to be found in places like YouTube. What does exist is usually unauthorized and only survives for as long as it takes to issue a takedown notice. Which Prince, or whoever he’s paying to handle this task, does with great regularity. There is plenty of Prince material on non-U.S. video sites, which are harder to deal with under American law.
The article describes Prince’s views, but issues and debates in copyright, too. Well worth reading in full.