Apple Patents Tech to Stop iPhones Filming in Venues

An anonymous reader writes "A patent application filed by Apple, and obtained by the Times, reveals how the software would work. If a person were to hold up their iPhone, the device would trigger the attention of infra-red sensors installed at the venue. These sensors would then instruct the iPhone to disable its camera."

Comments

Deja Vue

[ColdWetDog]

Haven't we been here before?

The real counter measure

[itchythebear]

Don't buy an iphone if this bothers you.

I like a lot of apple products, but in this case I think i'll pass on the new iphone.

Re:The real counter measure

[flaming error]

> The solution would be to make it illegal for the police to do that

1) Whoever wrote that law would commit political suicide.
2) Enforcing a law against the enforcers of the law can be difficult.
3) At a time when SCOTUS shreds the Constitution into hamster bedding by repealing Miranda rights, allowing police to enter without a warrant and without knocking, allowing the feds wholesale warrantless surveillance of the entire citizenry, of what use is any law?

Re:Jobs should call Gates

[gstoddart]

This could blow up into "next they'll shutdown cameras during a Rodney King beating", and iPhone becomes the Brave New World gateway device.

And, given that I'm one of the people saying that ... I personally fail to see how this technology wouldn't be abused.

Apparently, you can't publish pictures of the friggin' Eiffel tower, because some company owns the copyright on the lighting. Concert promoters will be all over this. Fireworks. Buildings. Public art. Free Speech Zones. Governments who have no qualms abusing their people (ok, that's all of them).

As someone who tends to carry a camera around an awful lot, the idea that someone else can disable that is a little worrying ... if I'm in public, and if I can see it, I'm entitled to take a picture of it. I don't give a damn that some idiot asserts he owns the copyright to a building ... I'm not copying the building, I'm taking a picture of my experiences.

Sure, Apple can use this to negotiate better deals on iTunes. But, speaking as someone who actually owns some Apple products ... if they think I'm going to accept a limitation on when I can use my camera, they're horribly wrong.

This just puts too much power in the hands of people who I don't place any trust in.

Back on topic...

[cayenne8]

Ok, and exactly WHY as a iPhone customer, would I want such 'feature' on my phone?? Rather limiting I'd say.

I don't want my electronic gadgets to be told what to do by other sources....I want it up to ME what I film and don't film,etc.

So, when the cops are beating someone, will they be deploying or wearing these nifty IR devices to prevent us, the general public from filming them?!?!?

I mean, aside from the lameness of this, fixing a problem that isn't there....what about the abuses of this?