Filming videos and taking photographs at live concerts may soon be a thing of the past, for iPhone users, as Apple is working on a
technology that could disable photo and video functionality at events.
The company won approval from the US Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday for a patent it applied for in 2009 relating
to its cameras and their interaction with infrared signals.
Reports highlight that in some cases, the device could use the infrared data to show a user information
related to a nearby object, such as an exhibit in a museum.
In other cases, the device could use the infrared data to disable the device’s recording functions. As an example, the patent
includes an illustration of a band performing onstage as a camera screen shows the text “recording disabled”.
While the technology might be aimed at preventing copyright infringement, it could come with the added bonus of improving the
concert-going experience.
Artists like Adele, Jack White and Zooey Deschanel have publicly expressed displeasure about the throng of phones at
concerts so Apple thought they have the power to stop it and maybe make a buck on the content that they won’t let you record.
