Apple patents tech for deactivating cameras at live concerts

This is because live-recording by hundreds of camera phones spoils experience of attending a music concert live

Using iPhones to record at live shows might become a thing of the past as Apple won a US patent for a technology that can force your iPhone into disabling video-recording mode at concert venues.

The system uses infrared signals to send messages to your phone to tell it to shut down video recording.

Apple's patent illustration showed a phone at a concert with the words "recording disabled" on screen.

"An infrared emitter can be located in areas where picture or video capture is prohibited, and the emitter can generate infrared signals with encoded data that includes commands to disable the recording functions of devices," the patent said.

"An electronic device can then receive the infrared signals and temporarily disable the device's recording function based on the command," it added.

The California-based US tech firm was awarded the patent on Wednesday amid growing concerns that live-recording by hundreds of camera phones spoils the experience of attending a music concert live.

In the past, various artists including Adele have been outspoken about fans filming their shows, with many claiming that it spoils the experience for other fans.

It's not known whether Apple plans to put the patent into use and the company did not respond to a request for comment.

Tech-firms often patent their new inventions without actually using them.

The development comes as musicians and actors regularly complain about the growing use of mobile phones and selfie sticks at live performances, which allow fans to immediately share content on social media for the millions of people who didn't actually pay for tickets.

However, many civil liberty advocates have expressed their concerns over the technology, claiming it to be intrusive.

The same technology can also be used to black-out the covering of live protests by activists, they claimed.