I for one always love to take pictures at concerts, but an additional plus with having a smart phone is being able to upload those photos online within seconds of taking it. Well it looks like future iPhone owners might not even be able to take pictures or video of live shows, let alone upload them in seconds, thanks to a new patent.
According to Gizmodo, Apple is looking into outfitting future iPhone devices with IR Blockers. The patent would essentially detect if a video or photo is taken at live venues and/or cinemas housing IR signal-emitting boxes and block the shooter from recording. In other words, you could be blocked from taking any sort of picture (even if it’s just of your friends at a venue) at a concert or movie theater.
If this patent indeed goes through, it would be Apple’s attempt in maintaining a good relationship with both record labels and film studios. However, it seems likely that such a patent would annoy more people than it would mend more fences. Would it be worth Apple to implement the IR Blockers just to block a few possible illegal bootlegs (which aren’t the best of quality in the first place, and in some instances are even encouraged by bands) at the cost of their mass audience?
We’ll keep you posted if more develops regarding the iBlock.
[picture via]
