EVER SHOT CONCERT FOOTAGE WITH YOUR iPHONE BEFORE?
Well, you may not be able to do so for much longer. From Metal Injection:
“Several sources are reporting that Apple has filed a patent application to stop you from shooting live events! The application reveals potential plans to build a system that detects iPhone video filming at venues using infra-red sensors which will in turn bounce back and contact the iPhone in your hand to automatically disable it.”
This idea, of course, is to deter concert bootleggers, something the industry has been trying, and failing, to do pretty much for as long there have been portable recording devices; Metal Injection even points out that such a system would be “in the interest of the record labels who distribute the music of the performers in these live events, the same labels Apple has very sweet licensing deals with,” because, y’know, I’m sure all parties involved would prefer that every time a band performs a new song live, it didn’t end up on YouTube.
And I’m of two minds about this myself. For one thing, I actually think those YouTube videos can be good publicity; folks watch ’em because they like the band and wanna hear some shit. I don’t think anyone is using them as a substitute for higher-quality recordings. And this will do nothing to stop illegal music downloading, which I think is a much larger threat to the music biz than kids filming concerts with their cellphones.
(I would also be much happier to hear that Apple was working on technology that prevented people from using their phones in movie theaters. That nonsense is seriously ruining the moviegoing experience, and if you’ve ever taken a call or texted someone in the middle of a move theater while the movie was playing, please kindly do us all a favor and shove that phone right up your ass.)
On the other hand, the quality of such footage is usually terrible, and I understand why bands and labels wouldn’t necessarily want it out there — they want to be their best foot forward, after all. Better to have high quality, professionally filmed concert footage — like the kind in which Metal Injection itself specializes! — then just some random shit out there.
But I’m curious to hear what you guys think. Is this a great idea? A terrible idea? If the system will prevent iPhone owners from filming concerts but no one else, will it just make you wanna buy an Android or Flip Cam or something? Weigh in below.
-AR
