Fresh thinking is required from lawmakers to cover augmented reality (AR) applications amid an explosion of interest in the new sector, a leading research firm claims.
Juniper Research states current laws may be unable to cope with new privacy, libel and copyright issues arising from AR applications in the next five years, as it predicts the number of compatible apps downloaded will surge from 11 million in 2010 to 1.4 billion in 2015.
Revenues from AR services are tipped to grow from just under $2 million (€1.4 million) to $1.5 billion in that time, as big name brands pick up on the potential of AR and more compatible handsets hit shelves.
Firms including Time Out, Royal Mail, and Coca Cola are currently using B2C applications to offer AR content, while brewing giant Carlsberg has also expressed an interest in the technology.
“These initiatives are indicative of a growing desire amongst brands to use AR as a key tool to engage with the consumer,” Windsor Holden, principal analyst at the firm states
The firm forecasts that location-based search, games, and enterprise applications will be the three largest revenue generators by 2015.