Apple has filed a patent that will prevent iPhone owners to use their cameras at concerts or sporting events. The patent, which Apple filed for 18 months ago, has recently been published publicly at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The technology allows arenas, concert halls and other venues to install infrared sensors that will detect when an individual’s iPhone is going into camera or video mode. The sensor will then communicate with the iPhone to disable its ability to snap a photo or take video. Other capabilities of the iPhone will not be disabled.

As pointed out by the blog “LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION,” this is an odd move for a company that made a name for itself with a genius ad back on January 22, 1984, where they depicted their Macintosh Computer as the destroyer of George Orwell's Big Brother depiction. Now Apple is acting as Big Brother.

While there may be a number of venues, artists, and owners that will be intrigued by this technology, there will be many disappointed by it as well. Plenty of artists make a name for themselves from the videos posted on YouTube. They view fan videos as a catalyst to reach a broader audience. In fact, Boston band Dispatch, which disbanded in 2004 and is on a reunion tour this summer, spoke of its support of music downloading long before YouTube existed in its present form or iTunes dominated the marketplace. Dispatch band members always boasted that fan participation and downloading of music is what allows bands like them to generate interest without a big record label supporting their efforts.

Another example of embracing user-participation in lieu of potential intellectual property violations is the NBA. Commissioner David Stern and his league have approached the posting of videos of their players on YouTube with a progressive mindset. When their fans post live plays recorded off of TV or snapped live at the arena, they embrace the exposure. Where the NBA’s counterparts in the NFL and MLB police user-generated content and remove it immediately, the NBA encourages it. Stern says they view it as a way to reach a global population. With this approach, the new Apple technology probably won’t make it into any NBA arenas anytime soon.

In fact, the technology likely won’t be seen implemented before 2012 at the earliest. The filing of a patent does not mean Apple has a usable and efficient way to implement the idea yet. They may, but it’s not necessarily the case. In addition, Apple has a trove of patented inventions that have never seen the light of day for one reason or another. They are clever ideas that were never implemented. This could just be another one of those. For now, iPhone users shouldn’t work themselves into a tizzy just yet. Especially not preaching a violation of rights, because that’s the reason for the technology in the first place—a violation of the performers’ intellectual property rights. Time will tell if future versions of the iPhone will utilize the “Big Brother” patent.

Photo 1: Killiondude, Creative Commons

Photo 2: Liftarn, Creative Commons