Apple to block iPhone use in movie theaters?

Apple has recently patented a technology to disable video recording on iPhone products during live concerts, and many users are now wondering if the same could happen at movie theaters.

Ideally, the measure will make illegally recorded live performances posted on YouTube a thing of the past.

The Telegraph has reported on the patent filed by Apple, which will give venues the option of disabling attendees’ iPhones from using the Camera function with an infrared beam. Most definitely, this new technology is a direct response to the rise of social media and the ease of sharing recorded videos, potentially spoiling live performances.

When the technology is enabled, a user’s iPhone will display a message reading “recording disabled” when the Camera function is accessed, effectively disabling photos and videos from being taken. Barring that, venues also have the option of adding some sort of watermark or blur effect to cut down on the social media sharing.

It needs to be said, however, that Apple only patented the technology, but have not actually applied it to any of their products as of yet. It’s unclear as to whether this is definitely going to happen, but it’s now officially a possibility— and it’s hard to picture most performers and venues not wanting to take advantage of it.

But if concerts wind up instituting a ban on cell phone usage, you can bet the farm that movie theaters would quickly follow suit. The battle against piracy has plagued the MPAA for so many years now, and you can be sure they’re going to use any and every opportunity to slow it down as best they can.

Personally, I feel these fan-recorded videos probably help the product more than it hurts it. I don’t think someone is going to watch 30 seconds of a poorly-recorded snippet from a Taylor Swift concert, and say, “I was going to buy a ticket, but now that I saw that, I’m totally satisfied.” If anything, it’s likely to generate more interest. Free publicity, if you will.

But something tells me most iPhone users aren’t going to appreciate concert venues having remote access to their phones— even if they’re not planning to snap any pics or videos.

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